Stephen Grant scores first world ranking points in Austria
Stephen Grant (right) celebrates with his caddie, Michael Dallat.
Alps Tour — Mount Juliet’s Stephen Grant closed with a six under par 66 to open his world rankings account in the Gosser Open in Austria.
The 39-year old former footballer made seven birdies in the final round to tie for third on 11 under par.
And while that was a massive nine strokes behind runaway winner Matt Wallace, who claimed his third successive win on 20 under thanks to a final round 66, the world ranking points are a just reward for a good week's work at Golf Club Erzherzog Johann.
Wallace, 26, finished eight shots ahead of Austria’s Robin Goger with Birr native Grant tied for third with Italy’s Federico Maccario and Andrew Bolognesi and England’s Tom Shadbolt.
Leading by five heading into the final round, Wallace now heads the Alps Tour money list by more than14,000 points from Franck Daux with David Carey, who played on the Challenge Tour and missed the cut, back in eighth place.
"It was an amazing week. I played some great stuff,” Wallace told AlpsTourGolf.com. “I got off to a great start today with an eagle on the first after hitting a pitching wedge from 160 to six feet. But then I didn’t putt great. Robin was putting fantastic and was making putts from everywhere.
"I stayed patient and the birdies on five and six were great. I just tried to shoot as low as possible until I was safe to play to the middle of the greens.
“The feeling walking down the 18th with a seven-shot lead was on of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced. A lot of hard work has paid off recently.
"Three in a row, love it ! I am so happy.”
Killarney's Thomas O'Driscoll missed the halfway cut after rounds of 83 and 72.