After weeks of sleepless nights, Ireland’s Peter Lawrie can finally relax after securing his European Tour card at the ISPS HANDA Perth International.
The 2008 Open de España winner started the week 115th in The Race to Dubai, with only the top 110 after the tournament at Lake Karrinyup retaining their playing rights for 2014.
Despite finishing bogey-bogey, Lawrie carded a closing two under par 70 to finish in a share of 18th.
That was enough to move Lawrie into the all-important top 110, but former European Tour winners James Kingston, Oliver Fisher, Fredrik Andersson Hed and Richard Finch were not so lucky.
Kingston was leapfrogged after missing the cut, while top-ten finishes were not enough for Finch or Andersson Hed and Fisher missed out after finishing tied for 18th when he needed to be in the top seven.
They now face a trip to Qualifying School in Spain next month, but Lawrie can rest easy after an exhausting couple of months during which time he missed six cuts in a row before finally reaching the weekend in Perth.
“I'm just glad it's over to be totally honest with you,” he said afterwards. “I've never felt so much pressure as the last eight weeks. I can't sleep, can't eat properly, it’s just horrendous. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
“I got off to a great start, so there wasn't that much pressure, but jeepers, just coming down the last few holes trying to get the job finished without making a mental error or doing something stupid, even finishing bogey, bogey - it was tough.
“Finishing anywhere in the 20s I reckoned was going to be enough to keep my card, but it's not easy, I can tell you that. It is not easy."
Asked what he would do now his mission had been accomplished, Lawrie replied: "Hopefully fly home and sleep for a change. I can go home and be with the family and stop being grumpy.”
