One hurdle left for Tour hopefuls

Welshmen Liam Bond (above) and compatriot Gareth Wright are six rounds away from securing their card for the 2014 European Tour season after coming through the latest stage of qualifying.

Bond, winner of the PGA in England (West)Order of Merit, eased through to next week’s final stage at PGA Catalunya after finishing third on 14-under-par at Las Colinas, Spain – one of four second stage qualifying venues.

Marriott St Pierre-based Bond, who secured his full card via Tour School in 2010, said: “It’s good to get through this tournament but it doesn’t mean anything yet, so I can’t get too excited.

“I played well all this week and was in the top three again. My game is in good shape and now it’s about getting the job done.”

He will be joined by 2012 Glenmuir PGA Professional champion Wright (West Linton - below), who finished tied 10^th at five-under-par.

Also competing at the Final Stage, having received an exemption, are West Region regular and past Tour winner David Dixon and former Irish PGA No 1 David Higgins, who narrowly missed on securing his card after finishing 115th on this season’s Race to Dubai.

Among the ‘big hitters’ teeing up in Spain are former Tour winners Frederik Andersson Hed, Richard Finch, Oliver Fisher, Nick Dougherty, Scott Drummond, Johan Edfors, Jose Manuel Lara, Phillip Price, Miles Tunnicliff and Ken Ferrie.

Final stage, which tees off on Sunday November 10, consists of six rounds, with a cut after four rounds for the top 70 players.

The top 25 and ties at Final Stage will secure a dream ticket to play next season’s European Tour.