Michael Long was the only player to card four consecutive sub-70 rounds as he won Staysure Tour Qualifying School Final Stage by two shots at Pestana Golf Resort.
Michael Long was the only player to card four consecutive sub-70 rounds as he won Staysure Tour Qualifying School Final Stage by two shots at Pestana Golf Resort.
The Kiwi was rock solid from the outset and saved his best for last, signing for rounds of 67-68-69-66 to finish on 14 under par in a pressure packed week where five players earned Staysure Tour cards for the 2020 season.
The 51-year old, who has competed in 99 European Tour events in his career, has eight professional victories to his name, his most recent in 2018 on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and he will now look to continue his winning ways in his rookie season against the best senior golfers in Europe.
“I’ve been lucky," he said. "I’ve been pretty much exempt on most tours that I’ve played on. I think the last time I had a successful Tour school was in 1992 or 1991, and that was down in Australia. I’ve failed a couple times in Final Stage on the US tour.
“I can’t believe it really. This is completely out of the blue. It’s a lot of really good players out here, and if you can’t smile now, when can you? It’s just nice to come out on top of a top quality field."
Sharing second place on 12 under par were Scottish amateur Euan McIntosh and Canadian David Morland IV. The two players spent the majority of Final Stage inside the all-important top five and like Long, will now compete in their rookie seasons on the Staysure Tour.
McIntosh will now turn professional, while Morland IV will bring the professional experience he has gained from the PGA Tour as the two players further strengthen the quality of golf in Europe’s senior ranks.
Andrew Raitt, who competed in 132 European Tour events between 1999 and 2010, finished alone in fourth place on ten under par, sealing his own rookie Staysure Tour season thanks to a final round of four under par 67, which kept him inside the qualification number.
The battle for the fifth and final card required extra holes as Spaniards Carl Suneson, Victor Casado and Englishman Gary Marks were deadlocked on eight under par after 72 holes.
Suneson birdied the first play-off hole, the par four 17th, to seal a return to the Staysure Tour for a third season and is the only Qualifying School graduate who will not be a rookie in 2020.
