Friday, January 18, 2013

SUNSHINE TOUR - Stewart remains on course for tour card

                                                 
Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) remains on course to play in the 2013 South African Sunshine Tour after a fourth round 70 left him in joint 15th place in the qualifying tournament. With only one round to go , Stewart needs to finish in the top 30 to secure a place in the tour for 2013. (fron the www.scottishgolfview.com website) 
If James Byrne and Michael Stewart can hold their current positions over Saturday's fifth and final round of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School, they will earn playing rights on the South African circuit.

The top 30 and ties at the end of 90 holes win cards and Byrne is joint eighth on 10-under-par 278 while Stewart is joint 15th on 279.

A total of 68 players from a starting field of 264 made the cut with aggregates of 287 and better.

Byrne has shot 68, 66, 73 and 71, his fourth-round being inflated by a double bogey 6 at the 18th. The Banchory man had been four-under-par for the round after 10 holes.

Stewart's scores have been 72, 70, 67 and 70. Like his Walker Cup team-mate of 2011, the Ayrshire man had a double bogey on his card - a 7 at the long fifth, but he compensated with a bag of six birdies.

"It's my first time to South Africa. It's a little different, but I am used to the firm fairways and the style is reasonably similar to Links golf," said Northern Open champion Byrne (24).

"I had heard a lot of great things about the Sunshine Tour, but last year I played on the Asian Tour, so I wasn't able to try it. This year I planned early to come over, and hopefully I'll be playing here in South Africa this year," he said

Byrne is focusing on finishing as well as possible in order to secure a good position in the Sunshine Tour rankings. 

 "The better you do, the better category you have and the more events you might be able to play. The goal is always to win, and I was in a good position over the first two rounds, so I'm a little disappointed to not be there now. One of the perks of this tour is the co-sanctioned events, but I need to focus on the final round and lock that card up first," he said

SUNSHINE TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Bloemfontein and Schoeman Park golf clubs.

FOURTH-ROUND LEADERS
Par 288 (4x72)
Players from South Africa unless stated
269 Johan de Beer 72 66 67 64.
271 J P Van der Walt 66 66 69 70.

BRITISH SCORES
278 James Byrne (Sco) 68 66 73 71.RossMcGowan (Eng) 70 68 71 69 (T10).
279 Michael Stewart (Sco) 72 70 67 70 (T15).
280 Laurie Canter (Eng) 68 74 66 72 (T20).
283 Tim Rice (Ire) 71 68 71 73 (T33)
284 Rhys Enoch (Wal) 73 69 71 71, Charlie Ford (Eng) 73 68 75 68 (T37)

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