It’s been a while since Craig Lawrie’s well-kent dad, Paul, battled through the European Tour’s Qualifying School. The auld yin has done alright for himself since passing the sturdy examination back in 1991, of course. An Open Championship triumph, two Ryder Cup appearances and a clutch of tour titles? Top marks indeed.

Here in 2015, Lawrie finds himself back in the tension-filled thick of it but as a nervous spectator as his 20-year-old son attempts to negotiate his way through stage two of the process in Spain this weekend and take another step towards the promised land of the European circuit. The nail-nibbling Q-School tends to make for jittery, hands-over-the-eyes viewing. Given the way his beloved Aberdeen have stuttered and stumbled on the football park in recent weeks, Lawrie senior is probably well used to peering on anxiously.

Craig, meanwhile, will be taking it all in his stride. This week is another sizeable test in the youngster’s golfing education and he is looking forward to the challenge. Since making the pro switch a couple of seasons ago, Lawrie is still trying to find his feet. The cut-and-thrust of the third-tier PGA EuroPro Tour may be far removed from the glamour of the main European stage but it provides a fierce level of competition and gives the raw recruits valuable front line experience. It’s not just tough at the top, it’s tough at any level of professional golf these days. “I think the standard has taken me by surprise,” said Lawrie, who is one of 12 Scots competing across four qualifying venues in Spain this weekend. “I thought it was tough on my first year but the EuroPro this year has been outstanding really. I don’t think most people understand just how high the standard is. It’s three levels down and folk probably think it’s a bit mediocre but there’s a huge number of really good players and the competition is really good.”

Lawrie made just four cuts from 15 EuroPro events this season but he has taken the dunts on the chin that this fickle game tends to dish out. “I was leading after day one of an event at Slaley Hall, I’d shot six under and I thought ‘here we go, I’ll kick on now’,” he added. “The next day I started with a triple bogey and a bogey and I’m four over after two and I’m battling just to make the cut again. That kind of summed up the year really. Decent starts and then back to square one with poor second rounds. But I’ve stayed up beat and I know my game is close.”

Lawrie will need to dig deep over the next four days if he is to secure a place in the six-round final next weekend but his spirited performance in stage one of the Q-School process at Frilford Heath a few weeks ago has given him plenty of confidence. “On the final day I got off to a terrible start and was six-over after 12 and at that point I was a couple of shots outside the qualifying mark,” he reflected. “Coming home though I rallied and birdied a few to make it. It was very satisfying to grind it out when the chips were down and that gave me a real lift.”

Whatever happens in Spain this weekend, Lawrie will continue to pursue the professional path. “It’s only my second year as a pro and I feel I’ve played a lot better than my results have shown,” he said. “This week is another step up the rung for me and to get through to the final would be an incredible result. I’m staying patient, I’m continuing to see progress in my game and I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. Professional golf is tough …and dad knows just how hard it is.”

Watching his son from the sidelines this weekend might be even harder.