For most folk, a trip to the sunny climes of Australia at the end of October would not be a bad way to end the year.
Not if you are a professional golfer scrapping away for European Tour survival, though, writes Nick Rodger.
A share of 20th in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship yesterday gave Chris Doak a cheque for £34,091, inching him up to 112th on the money list and nearer the card-retaining safety zone of the leading 110. There is still work to be done. Unless he produces a barnstorming performance in the Portugal Masters to complete the job there, the 35-year-old will have to make the trek down under for the Perth International, the final regular event on the tour's schedule.
"Nothing against Australia, but I don't want to be going all the way down there,"said Doak after signing off with a level-par 72 over the Old Course and a 16-under aggregate of 272. Sitting in a share of ninth at the start of the final round, having propelled himself up the order on Saturday with a rousing 63 in St Andrews, Doak's disappointment at failing to finish in the upper echelons was etched on his face.
With a huge prize fund on offer at the 'home of golf', this was the chance to wrap up his tour card for next season but the former Scottish PGA champion just never got going on the closing day.
"I was just hitting it 20, 50, 80 feet from the flag," lamented Doak after a round containing two birdies and two bogeys.
"I think I set a record for my longest ever putt. I had a go at one from about 100 feet on the 10th. I expected to have it [his tour card] all done by the end of this week. Now I'm going to have to book a flight."
Scott Jamieson warmed up for this week's Seve Trophy with a closing four-under 68 for a 271 and tie for 17th. It was his first top-20 finish on the European circuit since a similar result at the Malaysian Open in March.
Richie Ramsay also closed with a 68 for his 275 tally while Marc Warren, the double European Tour champion, dropped 14 places into a share of 35th with a 74 for a 276. George Murray, third in this event two years ago and the only other Scot to make the cut, had a 73 for 277.
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