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It always comes to down this and there are always an unlucky few who have to go through it. It’s that time of year when there is just one event remaining in the quest to retain playing privileges on The European Tour.
The beautiful Lake Karrinyup Country Club will provide the stage for the US$2million Perth International, where those players in and around the magic number of 110 in The 2013 Race to Dubai will either have one of the greatest or one of the worst weeks of their careers.
With the man in 110th position in the Race to Dubai, Gaganjeet Bhullar, not in Perth to defend his position, those in and around that position are focusing only on that magic number.
Alex Levy (108th in the Race to Dubai) and Richard Bland (109th) are desperate to hold onto their current positions, along with James Kingston (111th).
Peter Lawrie (114th) and David Higgins (115th) are looking for that big finish which will see them guarantee a place on The European Tour next season. For Lawrie it has been a hazard avoided for ten years.
Lawrie claimed his maiden European Tour victory at the Open de España in 2008, when he defeated home favourite Ignacio Garrido in a play-off. He also enjoyed a fine performance as defending champion in 2009, finishing tied third.
He made history at the end of the 2003 season when he became the first Irish golfer to win the prestigious Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. Educated at the University College Dublin where he undertook a golf scholarship, Lawrie graduated to The European Tour through the Challenge Tour, finishing fourth in the Rankings at the end of 2002. A breakthrough helped by a superb victory in the Challenge Tour Grand Final.
Lawrie also one year on the Asian Tour and three seasons on the Challenge Tour before achieving his goal on the European Tour. Lawrie was capped at boys, youths and national level for Ireland as an amateur and in his early days as a professional, he played in Asia and Florida, gaining a ‘Mini Tour’ victory in America’s Sunshine State.
In Perth he said “I have flown all the way here because I have one opportunity left to save my season so I need to embrace it and go with it and see what happens. I have never been in this position before – the last time I would have been feeling like this would have been 2002 when I was trying to get onto the Tour, so it has been a while.
“My form has been terrible to be honest so there is not a lot to go on in terms of form. I have missed six out of the last seven cuts so I just have to get ready for that first tee as well as I can on Thursday morning and take it from there.
“I am in this position for one reason – it is my own fault and it is up to me to get myself out of it. I am here to do a job and to save my card. It is up to me to do it and there is really nothing more I can say or do after that.”
For David Higgins the battle with Q School has been a more familiar and frequent occurrence, having first come through all three stages in 2012, taking the 18th card at the Final Stage at PGA Catalunya Resort with a seven under par total. Earlier that year finished tied tenth in the BMW PGA Championship, having gained entry as the leading PGA professional in the Irish PGA region.
Prior to losing his card Higgins won three times on the Challenge Tour in 2000 to finish second in the Rankings and graduate the first time to The European Tour. However Higgins could not keep his card, taking 124th spot in the Order of Merit.
Came through the Challenge Tour in 2005, again narrowly failing to retain his playing privileges at the highest level in 2006.
The Kerryman was Ireland’s leading amateur by the age of 21 and enjoyed match play victories over Padraig Harrington in the finals of the South of Ireland in Lahinch and the Irish Amateur Close Championship.
His Father Liam is a former European and Senior Tour winner.
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