Dixon in command at Q-School
David Dixon leads the Q-School with a round to play. ©Getty ImagesEngland’s David Dixon blasted seven birdies in a five under par 67 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the European Tour Qualifying School finals in Spain.
The 34-year old Englishman, who is making his seventh appearance at the final stage, leads on 18 under par from Germany’s Bernd Ritthammer (67) on the Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya Resort near Girona.
No stranger to end of season drama, the former Lytham Trophy winner is hoping that his latest visit to Q-School will be the “kick up the backside” he needs to push on an truly establish himself on tour.
“I’ve had a few things happening off the course, so golf hasn’t always been at the top of my priority list, which it probably needs to be if you’re going to succeed out here,” said Dixon, who was the leading amateur in the 2001 Open Championship at Royal Lytham.
“But maybe coming back here to Tour School will be the kick up the backside I need. I need to knuckle down and come back next year with a bit of a better work ethic. It’s a great way to earn a living, so I really need to start making the most of my opportunities.”
After leading for the first four rounds, England’s Sam Hutsby (72) slipped back to third place on 16 under with Richard Bland (69), South African Branden Grace (70) and recent Walker Cup star Andy Sullivan (71) a shot further back in joint fourth.
The top 30 and ties after today’s final round will earn full playing rights for 2012 with two-time European Tour winner Gary Orr one of six players sitting on the eight under par cut off after a fifth round 73.
Norwegian Knut Borsheim (68), who had holes in one on Monday and Tuesday, held a watching brief yesterday as playing partner Adrien Bernadet (67) of France aced the fifth as they finished the day tied for seventh on 14 under.
Bernadet holed his five iron on the 208-yard fifth and also notched five birdies in a round of 67, lifting him him to tied seventh.
“That was the seventh hole-in-one of my career and probably the best one,” said the Frenchman.
Dixon, whose sole European Tour win came at the Saint-Omer Open presented by Neuflize OBC in 2008, overcame a bogey on the second hole to card four consecutive birdies from the third hole, followed by another on the eighth to reach the turn in 32, four under par.
While the experienced Englishman did hold a three shot lead at one point during the day, his five consecutive pars after the turn, followed by a birdie and a bogey at the 15th and 16th, opened the door for Bernd Ritthammer to join him at the top temporarily.
A gained shot at the 17th hole, however, handed him a single shot lead over the German heading into the final day of the gruelling six-day marathon at PGA Catalunya Resort, near Girona.
“I think the experience of having been here a few times before definitely helps because you tend to deal with the highs and lows a bit better,” said the 34 year old, who won the Silver Medal as leading amateur at The Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s in 2001.
“You’ve just got to try to hang in there, go steady and give yourself a chance of getting your card and possibly even winning. It’s been a funny old year so it’d be nice to finish it on a high note, but I’d be happy with a top ten finish.
“Tomorrow I’ve just got to go out there with the same mentality as today, and hope the putts continue to drop. My putting this year has been poor, which is why I’m here, so it’s about time I came good.
“I switched to the belly putter recently, and it’s starting to work well for me. I holed a monster putt from about 60 foot on the fifth hole, and holed a few good clutch putts, so that bodes well for tomorrow and for next season too.”
It was a stunning back nine performance which lifted Ritthammer into the mix, after an up-and-down front nine, and having signed for a five under par 67, he is now setting his sights on victory in northern Spain.
“It was like a rollercoaster on the front nine,” said the Nuremburg-born player. “I started well with an eagle on the third and a birdie on the fourth, but then had two bogeys. The fifth could easily have been a double bogey though, so I did well there.
“I made another birdie on the eighth but bogeyed the ninth, so I was actually pretty happy to reach the turn in one under. Then I started to play really well on the back nine, I didn’t make any mistakes.
“This is the first time I’ve been in this position and it feels pretty good. Last year here I was in the top 30 after five rounds, but this position is much more comfortable. I just want to win the tournament now; I don’t have to worry too much about not getting a card. I just need to play a solid round.
“I started the week playing quite aggressively and it has paid off until now, so there is no reason to change it or play more defensively tomorrow. It’s very exciting and I’m looking forward to the challenge tomorrow.”
Overnight leader Hutsby relinquished his lead early in the day after starting with a bogey, before three more dropped shots were offset by one birdie to reach the turn in 39. But the resurgent 23 year old clawed his way back to third place with a level par 72 thanks to a superb three under back nine which included birdies at the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th.
“I’m so happy at the minute,” said the 23 year old afterwards. “If you’d told me on the tenth that I’d end up with level par I wouldn’t have believed you. I just dug in deep and my short game kept me in it. I hit a couple of nice putts in the last few holes, and I’m absolutely chuffed to bits to still be in the mix.
“I bogeyed the ninth and tenth to go four over. I just couldn’t find my rhythm. I hit it really well on the range. Every time I’ve hit it well on the range I haven’t played that well, which just goes to show what a mental game this is.
“It’s given me confidence, because if I can play that poorly and still get round in 72 I’m doing well. If I don’t get off to a great start tomorrow, I can look back and use this round to give me more self-belief, because I can come back from it.”
With just one round remaining in the testing marathon of golf in northern Spain, the race for the European Tour cards on offer, to the top 30 and ties, was beginning to take shape.
Teetering on the brink were Peter Gustafsson, Lloyd Kennedy (both tied 22nd), Gary Orr and Tim Sluiter (both tied 28th), while the youngest player in the field, 19 year old Adrien Otaegui, was also tied 22nd.
Those just outside the mark included Alessandro Tadini (tied 34th), Seve Benson and Chris Doak (both tied 39th).
European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, PGA Catalunya Resort.
After 5th round:
338 D Dixon (Eng) 74 65 63 69 67;
339 B Ritthammer (Ger) 65 71 68 68 67;
340 S Hutsby (Eng) 60 69 68 71 72;
341 B Grace (RSA) 68 68 65 70 70; R Bland (Eng) 67 72 65 68 69; A Sullivan (Eng) 65 66 67 72 71;
342 G Cambis (Fra) 66 69 68 69 70; J Garcia (Esp) 71 64 66 73 68; A Bernadet (Fra) 68 69 69 69 67; K Borsheim (Nor) 66 71 69 68 68;
343 S O’Hara (Sco) 73 67 65 68 70;
344 E Grillo (Arg) 73 68 70 68 65; T Nørret (Den) 71 67 62 74 70;
345 R Saxton (Ned) 70 66 65 78 66;
346 J Lagergren (Swe) 66 71 67 71 71; M Lafeber (Ned) 69 67 69 70 71; A Marshall (Eng) 68 71 68 69 70; J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 71 63 72 72 68; A Ahokas (Fin) 74 66 64 72 70; V Riu (Fra) 67 69 66 69 75; D Fichardt (RSA) 66 73 66 68 73;
347 L Kennedy (Eng) 68 66 70 69 74; P Gustafsson (Swe) 70 63 66 75 73; D McKenzie (Aus) 69 64 68 71 75; A Otaegui (Esp) 68 69 69 66 75; M Nixon (Eng) 68 69 67 72 71; J Guerrier (Fra) 68 66 71 73 69;
348 M Carlsson (Swe) 66 70 66 75 71; M Southgate (Eng) 70 68 71 71 68; G Orr (Sco) 68 69 69 69 73; C Brazillier (Fra) 65 74 67 73 69; T Sluiter (Ned) 63 75 68 70 72; M Lundberg (Swe) 70 68 66 73 71;
349 W Abery (RSA) 69 65 67 75 73; A Byeong-Hun (Kor) 70 70 65 72 72; J Hugo (RSA) 65 71 70 69 74; E Kofstad (Nor) 66 68 70 72 73; A Tadini (Ita) 69 70 70 69 71;
350 C Doak (Sco) 71 68 66 72 73; W Besseling (Ned) 74 63 69 72 72; S Benson (Eng) 72 71 70 66 71; J Gibb (Eng) 69 68 67 69 77; T Van Der Walt (RSA) 69 74 72 64 71; A Parr (Can) 72 66 67 72 73; H Soon-Sang (Kor) 68 72 65 71 74;
351 A Domingo (Esp) 71 67 67 74 72; A Snobeck (Fra) 67 72 66 72 74; R Quiros (Esp) 65 69 72 74 71; J Elson (Eng) 74 67 74 63 73; J Hansen (Den) 67 67 71 73 73; H Bacher (Aut) 71 68 70 70 72;
352 J Walters (RSA) 73 70 70 66 73; J Wahlqvist (Swe) 71 69 68 71 73; T Remkes (Ned) 73 69 72 65 73; B Parker (Eng) 69 67 70 72 74; A Tampion (Aus) 65 73 68 70 76;
353 S Buhl (Ger) 68 72 66 74 73; B Barham (Eng) 65 70 66 73 79; S Kim (Kor) 68 71 68 73 73; R Dinwiddie (Eng) 67 71 67 75 73; P Dwyer (Eng) 67 69 68 72 77; A Haindl (RSA) 71 67 70 70 75;
354 M Madsen (Den) 71 71 71 67 74; M Haastrup (Den) 74 67 72 64 77; B Chapellan (Fra) 70 69 69 72 74;
355 S Jeppesen (Swe) 73 70 70 67 75; S Pinckney (USA) 66 73 70 71 75;
356 D Vancsik (Arg) 68 68 69 73 78;
357 F McGuirk (Eng) 76 69 68 66 78; M Tullo (Chi) 73 69 72 66 77