The professional career is off and running. Trying to gain a solid foothold in the paid ranks can be as treacherously shoogly as a horse trying to balance itself in the middle of a see-saw. Having already progressed past stage one of the European Tour’s qualifying school recently, Grant Forrest made another sturdy step at the Dunhill Links Championship as he completed all four rounds in his first event as a pro.
In yesterday’s final round, the former Scottish Amateur champion finished with a flourish. A wedge from around 80 yards on the 18th landed behind the flag and spun back to within a couple of inches of the hole. Forrest duly tapped in the birdie putt in a one-under 71 for a six-under aggregate of 282 and stuck a tidy cheque for £21,316 into his back pocket.
It’s a long way to the top, of course, and Forrest’s next priority will be stage two of the exacting q-school as he looks to try and gain some form of touring category, either on the main European circuit itself or the second-tier Challenge Tour.
Four good days in the home of golf, though, have given him an early lift as he embarks on that amateur-to-pro transition which continues to be a move fraught with trials and tribulations for many young Scottish golfers.
“It is good to make a cut but it is also good to see how much room you have for improvement,” said Forrest of the rigorous standard of golf he has encountered. “It is different to playing as an amateur when there is a bit less pressure so this is a big boost to the confidence and hopefully it’s something to build on. I just played solidly throughout the first three days. In the final round I was just out of my rhythm a little bit which I think was down to the nerves but I fought through it.”
Craig Lee managed a share of 25th on a nine-under aggregate and hauled himself into the card-retaining zone on the money list. He now sits 108th but it will continue to be nail-nibbling end to the campaign.
On the Ladies European Tour, meanwhile, Edinburgh-based American, Beth Allen, overhauled a four-stroke deficit with nine holes to play to win the Lacoste Ladies French Open.
Her final round 67 gave her a 14-under 266 and a four shot victory over Diana Luna and Florentyna Parker.
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