Heroes will be made at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final this week and Jordi Garcia Pinto may yet become the most unlikely European Tour graduate as the last man in the field at Al Mouj Golf.
With only the top 46 contesting the final event on the Road to Oman, the Spaniard was right on the bubble heading to last week’s Ras Al Khaimah 2016 Golf Challenge, but a missed cut looked to have ended his dreams of playing in Muscat.
Having flown back to Spain, an extraordinary sequence of events over the weekend – including an unfortunate disqualification for Ross Kellett after he signed for an incorrect score – meant Garcia Pinto took the final spot.
Last man in
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) October 31, 2016
On Friday @JGarciagolf thought his #NBOGrandFinal hopes were over after a missed cut
3 days later, he's 46 in the 46-man field pic.twitter.com/SJNGpoFupI
The 26 year old now has an outside chance of finishing in the top 16 and earning a European Tour card, though only victory will suffice.
“The last few days have been amazing,” he said. “I missed the cut in Ras Al Khaimah by one shot, finishing with double bogey on the last by putting my drive into the water, so I went back to the hotel and thought I had no chance of making the Grand Final so I went back home to Spain.
“On Saturday I was checking the leaderboard all day, and in the end Pedro Oriol made birdie, Johan Edfors made birdie, Marcus Kinhult made bogey, plus Ross Kellett was disqualified – it was like ten or fifteen players needed to do something to help me and they all did it!
“I’m so happy to be here so now we will see what happens – I’m playing well, I’ve actually been playing well for a long time now, so I’m feeling good.
“A win this week and I get in the top 16, but this also gives me the option to go to Q-School Final Stage next week, so maybe in my position that’s a more important focus, but if I start well here let’s see what happens.
“This place is amazing. The views are incredible, it’s a fantastic golf course that’s always in superb conditions so I’m really happy to be here this week.”
