Gareth Maybin added his name to Ireland’s ever-growing list of European Tour professionals by securing his Tour card at the European Challenge Tour’s Apulia San Domenico Grand Final.
 
The Belfast 28-year-old cemented a fine season on the Challenge Tour by finishing in the top 20 at the stunning San Domenico Golf to end the season in fourth place on the final Rankings to comfortably take one of the 20 European Tour cards on offer.
 
Maybin’s breakthrough professional win at the Qingdao Golf Open in China last month heralded his coming of age and was the victory he needed to win his place in the inaugural Race to Dubai on The 2009 European Tour.
 
With a further eight top ten finishes throughout the year, Maybin was one of the Challenge Tour’s most consistent performers and just came up short in his bid to overhaul David Horsey at the top of the Rankings.
 
While Maybin can look to plan what will be his first year on The European Tour, his compatriots at the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final – Michael Hoey and Michael McGeady – will have to get ready for a daunting trip to The European Tour Qualifying School – Final Stage next month if they are to join Maybin on Tour next year after missing out on the Challenge Tour’s top 20.

Final round scores from the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final, San Domeninco Golf, Italy, 7402 yard par 71.
267 E Goya (Arg) 67 69 65 66;
268 J Morgan  (Eng) 66 73 61 68; R Bland (Eng) 67 66 67 68;
269 R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 66 66 69 68;
270 A Rocha (Bra) 68 65 68 69;
271 J Huldahl (Den) 70 66 66 69;
272 D Horsey (Eng) 69 67 68 68;
273 M Ruiz (Par) 71 67 67 68; G Clark (Eng) 67 66 72 68;
274 M Korhonen (Fin) 69 66 69 70; A McArthur  (Sco) 67 65 69 73;
275 G Lockerbie  (Eng) 70 68 69 68; J Quesne  (Fra) 68 67 68 72;
276 C Gane (Eng) 68 71 66 71;
277 A Ahokas (Fin) 70 70 67 70; T Remkes (Ned) 70 69 68 70; M Higley (Eng) 71 70 69 67; B Wiesberger  (Aut) 66 68 70 73;
278 R Coles (Eng) 72 70 68 68; B Grace  (RSA) 65 73 70 70; G Maybin (Nir) 67 70 68 73; S O'Hara  (Sco) 70 68 69 71;
279 L Bond (Wal) 70 70 70 69;
280 S Davis (Eng) 71 69 69 71; K Eriksson (Swe) 71 71 69 69;
281 S Benson (Eng) 72 73 69 67; M Hoey  (Nir) 73 68 67 73; J Haeggman (Swe) 71 69 72 69; D Drysdale (Sco) 71 71 69 70; I Van Weerelt (Ned) 74 69 68 70;
282 R De Sousa (Sui) 69 70 72 71; R Kakko  (Fin) 66 73 71 72;
283 W Besseling  (Ned) 68 69 69 77;
284 G Hutcheon (Sco) 65 75 72 72;
285 R Steiner (Aut) 72 69 72 72; R Ramsay  (Sco) 72 69 69 75; M Haastrup  (Den) 70 72 68 75;
287 M Morris (Eng) 68 71 73 75; M McGeady (Irl) 71 70 71 75;
289 G Boyd  (Eng) 71 71 70 77; A Tadini (Ita) 73 73 71 72;
290 C Nilsson  (Swe) 70 70 75 75;
291 T Feyrsinger  (Aut) 69 77 73 72;
292 R McEvoy  (Eng) 77 71 71 73;
297 A Tampion  (Aus) 77 72 73 75;
 
FINAL CHALLENGE TOUR RANKINGS – THE 20 QUALIFIERS TO THE 2009 EUROPEAN TOUR INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE (all figures in Euro)
 
1 David HORSEY (ENG) 144,118
2 Gary LOCKERBIE (ENG) 138,508
3 Taco REMKES  (NED) 137,330
4 Gareth MAYBIN (NIR) 117,719
5 Estanislao GOYA (ARG) 113,336
6 Seve BENSON (ENG) 111,529
7 Alessandro TADINI (ITA) 106,892
8 Richie RAMSAY (SCO) 106,655
9 Steven O'HARA (SCO) 103,211
10 Jeppe HULDAHL (DEN) 96,818
11 Klas ERIKSSON (SWE)          96,514
12 Alexandre ROCHA (BRA)      93,684
13 Richard BLAND (ENG)           92,645
14 R CABRERA BELLO (ESP)   89,846
15 Wil BESSELING (NED)           89,358
16 Marcus HIGLEY (ENG)           85,946
17 John E MORGAN (ENG)        77,253
18 Christian NILSSON (SWE)     75,200
19 Antti AHOKAS (FIN)                 74,866
20 Stuart DAVIS (ENG)                 67,104