How the mighty in golf can fall

Over the years we have followed the trials and tribulations of certain golfers in GolfPunk. We did this through a feature called 'Our Man Against the World'. Each year we picked a golfer on the Challenge or Euro pro tours and ran a monthly update on their progress.

These are the guys you have at every golf club. Brilliant ball strikers with an awesome short game and a putting stroke you could die for. You look at them on the range and on the course and try to figure out just why they haven't 'made it' on the biggest stages.

It's a world of fractions, near misses and 'if-onlys'. We sponsored a pro from East Sussex National Golf Club, Tommy Long. He was a brilliant golfer, would have qualified for the Open in 2004 had it not been for a double bogey on the 72nd qualifying hole when a bogey would have got him in.

What happened? Technically, he hit his first drive out of bounds. Technically. Whatever happened in his head only Tommy will know. 71 immaculate holes of golf and then, at the point when you really have to pull the trigger, well... 

The further you delve into the world of the aspiring tour pro, the more you realise just how excruciatingly hard it is. I remember Tommy telling us how he had to choose between buying a sandwich or another bucket of range balls before his opening round at a EuroPro event. Needless to say he went hungry.

The 12 guys we have highlighted in this article are a mixed bunch. Some, like Faldo Series winner James Heath have been grappling with the Challenge Tour since he turned pro in 2004 to a fanfare of optimism which faded almost as soon as it started.

You wonder why or even how these guys can continue searching for that elusive run of form that would catapult them out of there and into the big time.

All these guys are tour winners. They know what it takes and they believe they have what it takes. In fact, they know they have what it takes, they've been there and done it. They're just having 'a poor run'... You have to tell yourself that, right?

Y.E. Yang is a major winner for chrissakes! He came from behind to beat Tiger Woods to win the PGA at Hazeltine in 2009. And now he's scrambling around at Q-School for the European Tour? What the?!

Our Men Against the World. AKA How The Mighty Can Fall. Here they are fighting for their lives at Q-School at PGA Catalunya Resort in Spain.

- 6 long rounds of unadulterated tension, drama and fear!!

- Top 25 and ties get their tour cards .... daily updates below....

 

In terms of the Top 25... 

-5 is the magic number... that's what the top 25 players ended up on, or better...

 

 

+1 Steve Webster

Career highlights: As amateur he won the silver medal at 1995 Open at St Andrews, ahead of Tiger Woods.  2-time winner on European Tour. Seve Trophy player.

Final Qualifying status after Round 6

Finished +1- back to the drawing board...

 

 

 

+5 Simon Khan

Career highlights: 2010 won the BMW PGA – secured his tour card for 5 years…

Final Qualifying status after Round 6

Nightmare last round of 78...

Simon Khan on his way to winning the 2010 BMW at Wentworth. And a cool £700,000.00

 

-2 Oliver Wilson

Career highlights: 9 time runner-up on European Tour and made 2008 Ryder Cup player. 7th in Order Of Merit 2009. Won for 1st time 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Final Qualifying status after Round 6

Not good enough for Ollie...

Oliver Wilson celebrates a win at the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla

 

 

-4 James Heath

Career highlights: Faldo Series winner. Won on Challenge Tour this season – GolfPunk fashion shoot star.

Final Qualifying status after Round 5

Aaaaarrrrggghhhh.....Bogeyed 17 after an eagle.birdie brace looked to have saved him. Misses out by an agonising one shot...

James Heath wins the Scottish Hydro 2016

 

 

- 8 Y.E. Yang

Career highlights: Only Asian man to win a major, coming from behind to beat Tiger to win the 2009 PGA. Also won Honda Classic that year in PGA Tour. 3-time European Tour winner including beating Tiger (again) at 2006 HSBC Champions by 2 shots. 

Final Qualifying status after Round 6

Two birdies and one bogey in his last round... made it with three shots to spare

YE wins the 2009 PGA at Hazeltine. Tiger is well pleased...

 

 

-8 Tom Lewis

Career highlights; Walker Cup player. Won on the European Tour in his 3rd ever start, Portuguese Masters 2011. 3 months earlier he shot the lowest ever single round score at the Open when he shot 65 at Royal St George’s in 2011 he finished 30th - it is also equal lowest ever single round score from an amateur at any major. 

Final Qualifying status after Round 6

Two birdies and three bogeys. +1 for the round but slides in no problem...

Tom Lewis at Made In Denmark. He may or may not notice a decrease in crowd size on the Challenge tour...

 

 

-10 Eddie Pepperell 

Career highlights: Runner up in Dubai Duty Free Irish Open May 2015, 5th in BMW 2013.

Final Qualifying status after Round 6

No problemo for Eddie. Under par for every round. He'll be teeing it up on tour next season.

Golf? Easy...

 

 

-12 Eduardo Molinari

Career highlights: World Cup winner 2009, Ryder Cup 2010 team member, and 2-time winner on European Tour, has won on 4 of the six continents golf is played.

Final Qualifying status after Round 6...

Shot a +2 final round but had done all the hard work in rounds 1-5. Finished tied 2nd behind England's Nathan Kimsey...

 

That's right, laugh it up Q-School boy!

 

 

Final and full leaderboard here