Alastair Forsyth's penultimate qualifying position on the order of merit for next week's Tour Championship in Valderrama is under threat from his fellow Scot Gary Orr in the second-last event of the season.
Alastair Forsyth's penultimate qualifying position on the order of merit for next week's Tour Championship in Valderrama is under threat from his fellow Scot Gary Orr in the second-last event of the season.
Orr finished the second round of the Castellon Masters a stroke clear of Forsyth after carding a 67 for a five-under-par tally on the Club Campo del Mediterraneo course, on the outskirts of Castellon.
Forsyth had a fourth-hole double-bogey but then birdied his last two holes in a 70 for a four-under-par total.
Helenburgh's Orr arrived in Spain at No.63 on the order of merit and three spots outside a qualifying berth for the final 2008 tour stop. Forsyth is four spots, and £20,341, ahead of Orr in 59th place and presently inside the qualification mark for the event over the former Ryder Cup venue.
"I've only played in one Volvo Masters since 2001 and, after fighting so hard to get my card back, it would be a nice reward to be playing next week at Valderrama," said Orr. "But it's been an awkward year for me because, firstly, I had to make enough money to get past that point required through my medical exemption and even then I wasn't guaranteed a full season of tournaments.
"So my main concern was just getting my card back and having a decent year. As for getting into the Volvo Masters, I am not that bothered because I am happy with how my year has panned out.
"I looked at the prize money and I am going to need to finish top 20 to go ahead of David Lynn who's in 60th place but then he and guys like Alastair really only have to make the cut for players like me outside the 60 not to be able to go past them.
"A win or a top-10 finish would do the trick but I won't really think about it to Sunday night. If I get into the Volvo Masters fine; if I don't, that will be my season to next January when I'll tee-up in the Abu Dhabi Championship."
The problem for Orr is the fact that David Lynn, Thomas Levet and Simon Dyson also made the Castellon cut.
Three players - Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen (67), England's Richard Finch (69) and tournament host Sergio Garcia (65) - head the event on 12-under par with Kjeldsen and Finch both bogeying the last after Garcia had earlier birdied half of his closing six holes.
