Thirty years after first becoming a professional, Glasgow-born veteran Euan McIntosh will turn pro for the second time in his career after earning a place on the Staysure Tour at the qualifying school final in Portugal.
The 50-year-old, who became the oldest winner of the Scottish Amateur Championship in over three decades when he won the title in 2018, grabbed the second of just five tour cards on offer for the over-50s circuit.
McIntosh, who was re-instated to the amateur game after his initial spell in the paid ranks, closed with a four-under 67 for a 12-under tally and finished runner-up behind No 1 qualifier, Michael Long.
Having demonstrated he could still teach the young ‘uns a few tricks as a sturdy competitor in the amateur scene in recent seasons, McIntosh is now looking to take his game to a new level as a rookie among the golden oldies of Europe.
“I play a lot of high-end amateur events with guys that are going to be winning European Tour events, and I’ve been doing that for the last three years,” he said. “It’s been a really good grounding, these young guys have been amazing.
"They’ve pushed me on to get my golf to the level it’s at now. Without their help, and their competitiveness, I wouldn’t be here right now.
“The strange thing is, I’m sad in a way to be leaving the amateur ranks. I’ve got a lot of friends, because I play for Scotland, and now I’m not going to be doing that ever again. It’s great, but there’s a bit of sadness there.”
Aberdeen’s Scott Henderson, the 1997 European Tour rookie of the year, just missed out on a play-off for the final card by a single shot on seven-under.
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