Browne and Moriarty come up short
Lo and the west wind did blow and there was great rejoicing and great gnashing of teeth at the final judgement that is the sixth and final round of the European Tour Qualifying School finals at The San Roque Club.
Grinning from ear to ear were winner Martin Wiegele of Austria, who finished two strokes clear of England’s Lee Slattery and Spain’s Pedro Linhart on 11-under par, and former Irish Open champion Patrik Sjoland, who holed a 137-yard seven-iron for an eagle three at his 16th hole for a best of the day 68 that left him bang on the three-under par cut off mark.
Exactly 30 players earned their playing rights for the 2008 but there was no final day miracle for Ireland’s Colm Moriarty or Stephen Browne, as the sins of previous rounds came back to haunt them.
Moriarty finished 41st in the final ranking and three shots shy of his card on level par after a sterling one-under par 71 - one of just 11 sub-par rounds on a wild and wind-lashed final day at San Roque’s rolling New Course.
Browne was six off the pace in 51st place on three over after a 75 that was marred by two double bogeys. Yet both men were philosophical about their performances and their future in the game.
"I have to take the positives from the year, look at my statistics and see where I need to improve,” said Moriarty, whose chances evaporated when he took five at the 190-yard fourth, his 13th, after flying the green with a seven-iron.
"It wasn't today's round that cost me my card because I shot 71 today. But my game has come on in leaps and bounds this year. When you miss by three shots over six rounds it is frustrating. But you have got to take it on the chin and look where you need to improve for next year.”
Browne missed three birdie chances inside 10 feet on the first three greens and then doubled his fourth hole and bogeyed the next as well to slip out of contention for his card.
He fought back with three birdies in the next six holes before his 86-yard wedge to the 339-yard third, his 12th, plugged under the back lip of a bunker and led to a double bogey six.
“I can't fault my golf,” said Browne, who revealed that he played without his favourite putter for the first two days. “The putter I have been using all year went missing at the Grand Final in Italy. They must have had it in the deep freeze over there because it was pretty cold when I got it back on Saturday.
“I didn't really hole any putts and never got going. But I have played really solid golf and have done for the last two months. So I am very hopeful and confident for the future. More than hopeful to be honest.”
Germany’s Marcel Siem, a World Cup winner just 12 months ago, made it on the three over par limit but England's Stuart Davis, who was five under with three to play, bogeyed the 16th and 17th before chipping into the lake en route to a triple bogey seven at the last to miss by three shots.