IT WAS a case of one in and one out on the local golf scene, as Epping player Simon Khan stormed to victory in the end-of-year Qualifying School to earn a place on the European Tour once again next season.
But there was less good news for Chigwell’s Oliver Fisher, who crashed out when the cut was made at the event in Catalunya.
The pair were forced to slug it out with a large field of players desperate to land a place among the game’s elite, after narrowly failing to finish inside the top 115 players on the Tour, who are automatically invited back next season.
The result was a place in purgatory, as they faced the prospect of six rounds of golf with the sole objective of finishing inside the top 30 to reclaim their place on the circuit.
And Khan, fresh from an inspired performance in Hong Kong the week before, where he finished tied for 22nd, picked up where he left off by blasting his way to the top of the leaderboard with a near-flawless four rounds of golf.
That sequence included a stunning nine-under par 63 in the third round, while he was able to continue that momentum on the penultimate day to lead the field by six shots.
A treble bogey seven on the ninth and a dropped shot on the next hole during his final round saw his lead cut dramatically, but he kept his composure to record two more birdies to finish one shot clear of Sam Hutsby, another exciting English talent.
A clearly relieved Khan was glad to have emerged unscathed from the gruelling event, and has already set his sights on an improved display next season.
“By the end of the week I really started to feel it, and keeping it all going was quite hard,” said the 37-year-old. “I switched off a bit on the final day. Golf has a way of biting back and that’s what happened, but in the end my determination got me through.
“I had targeted a place in the top five before the week, but to win it was really good.
“The card I have now will allow me to play around 20 or 25 events next season and that is plenty. Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep my card normally. It will be in my hands.”
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the week was the failure of Fisher to emulate Khan’s achievement by qualifying for a place on the Tour next season.
Many had expected the 21-year-old to accelerate up the rankings alongside Rory Mc-Ilroy, having enjoyed plenty of tussles with the Northern Irishman throughout his formative years.
But, after a fine 51st-place finish on the Eu-ropean Tour in 2008, Fisher stalled in his development this season and, despite a late surge, was unable to secure his card. He had a week to forget on the Stadium Course. A score of level par after four rounds left him tied for 95th and consigned him to a campaign of uncertainty next year.
Fisher, who learned his trade at local club West Essex, is likely to secure a number of invitations to play on the European Tour, though he may have to combine those handful of tournaments with appearances on the Challenger Tour. The top 20 from that circuit are handed a European Tour card. Despite the setback, Fisher received backing from local rival Khan. “Oliver has shown a lot of character this year,” he said. “I fully expect him to be doing what Rory McIlroy is doing, but perhaps he is just a slower burner than him. It is very rare to be doing that well at his age. I see him (Fisher) being a top player.”
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