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Simon Thornton achieved much in his Rookie year on the European Tour and more than the results suggested at first glance. All of which gave him the chance to learn the ropes after years on the Irish PGA Region and the Challenge Tour.
Having finished 136th in the Race to Dubai in that year Thornton returned to Q School with the knowledge that his consistency in the 2010 season was rewarded in the two of the season’s re-ranks.
Having missed the cut in his first Tour event in South Africa Thornton then went on to finish a creditable 17th - in only his second event - which was followed by 36th place at the Open de Andalucia and then 10th place at the Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal in April – an event he decided to risk playing although it was the weekend his first Daughter was due.
In the build up to the first Re-rank in May the former Royal County Down Assistant Professional missed five consecutive cuts - Open de Espa̱a in Sevilla, BMW Italian Open in Italy, Ibedrola Open Calla Millor Mallorca and the Madrid Masters Рbut was fortunate to have done enough in the early part of the season to move to 18th place.
At the Celtic Manor Wales Open in June Thornton notched up a 61st place finish which was followed by the sixth missed cut at the Estoril Open de Portugal and then a 9th place in Germany. His weekend at the BMW International Open at Eichenreid Golfclub in Munich saw him play in the final group on Sunday with Bradley Dredge and Ross Fisher - following three rounds of 67 – showing that Thornton clearly has the game for the big time.
At the 3 Irish Open Thornton was disappointed with his first round of 71, which was followed on Friday by a 74, to finish three shots off cut and an early trip home to Newcastle, County Down.
Thornton earned his European Tour card after successfully negotiating his way to Final Stage Qualifying School in 2009. Doing just enough to see him finish inside the ten under par cut-off for the 29th card.
For the 2011 season Thornton had to qualify once again at PGA Catalunya and was joined by Gary Murphy. Who after ten years was back to basics.
However it was his victory in the 2013 Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open that completed a remarkable rise through the professional ranks.
Born in Yorkshire but now an Irish passport holder after moving to Newcastle, in County Down, he was playing off a handicap of seven just a decade or so ago.
“When I first went over to work as an assistant in the pro shop at Royal County Down, I could barely hit it out of my own shadow,” he admitted. But his hard work and perseverance paid off as he progressed firstly through the Irish PGA regional circuit, before moving onto the EuroPro Tour and then graduating to the Challenge Tour in 2011.
Thornton posted two top ten finishes en route to 51st place in the Rankings, but later earned a European Tour card for the first time after successfully negotiating his way through the Second and Final Stages of the Qualifying School.
Showed his determination and grit in a turbulent week at the 2011 Apulia San Domenico Grand Final, during which he learned of the birth of his second child back in Ireland and also battled illness and intense pressure of possibly missing out on a European Tour card before posting the best round of the final day, a 64, to clinch his spot. Lost his card in 2012 and was playing on the Challenge Tour again at the start of 2013, before victory in Saint-Omer gave him exemption for The Race to Dubai until the end of 2014.
At 2014 European Tour Final Qualifying a T30 finish proved insufficient to reclaim his tour card.
Fact File
Date of Birth:March 18th, 1977
Attachment: Team Ireland Golf
Place of Birth: Bradford, England
Turned Pro: 2005
Qualifying School: (2005), (06), (07), 08, 09* (10) 12 (14)
Career earnings: €577,449 November 2014
