Matthew Baldwin leads 25 Brits to Q-School finale

Matthew Baldwin charged into the Final Stage of European Tour Q-School at Lumine, which begins on Saturday, after winning the Second Stage at Desert Springs.

The 31-year-old Englishman, who had a full European Tour card as recently as 2016, led a total of 25 Brits through to the finale – with more expected to follow as the fourth Second Stage event at Panoramica will finish tomorrow.

Baldwin finished on 17-under-par at the Spanish resort and was joined at Lumine with 2016 Amateur champion Scott Gregory, Max Orrin, 2015 Walker Cup player Cormac Sharvin, Chris Lloyd and Sam Horsfield.

Also progressing from Desert Springs were Scottish duo Robert MacIntyre and Scott Henry. Twenty-one-year-old MacIntyre put in an exceptional round when it mattered most, carding a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to rise up 19 places from outside the top 30 to 13th for a nine-under-par total.

Henry, meanwhile, also finished on a nine-under-par following a consistent display with rounds of 70, 69, 70 and 70.

At Campo de Golf El Saler, Ewen Ferguson put in a hugely impressive showing to finish joint runner-up on ten-under-par. The young Scot led by three shots heading into the final round and closed with a three-over-par 75 to end up three shots behind winner
Ricardo Gonzalez and alongside Englishman Laurie Canter.

The other Brits qualifying from Campo de Golf El Saler were Daniel A.
Brown, Ross Kellett, Stuart Manley, Jamie Rutherford, Rhys Enoch, Steven Tiley, Dermot McElroy and Jonathan Thomson.

Over at Las Colinas, all three Scots who teed it up progressed through to
the Final Stage. David Law (below) closed with a three-under-par 68 to finish
two shots behind winner Jacques Kruyswijk in a tie for third.

Joining the Aberdonian at Lumine are Connor Syme (T10) and Chris Doak (T13), as well as the English quartet of Toby Tree, Paul Maddy, Marcus Armitage and John Parry.

A ten-man play-off was required to get the final two qualifiers, with Marcel Schneider and Tommy Cocha the lucky players prevailing.

At Panoramica, play was totally wiped out yesterday due to high winds, meaning there is still one round to go. The Brits currently inside the top 21 there are the English quartet of Joseph Dean, Robert Dinwiddie, Mark Foster and Jordan Wrisdale.

English qualifiers

Matthew Baldwin (Desert Springs)
Scott Gregory (Desert Springs)
Max Orrin (Desert Springs)
Chris Lloyd (Desert Springs)
Sam Horsfield (Desert Springs)
Toby Tree (Campo de Golf El Saler)
Paul Maddy (Campo de Golf El Saler)
Marcus Armitage (Campo de Golf El Saler)
John Parry (Campo de Golf El Saler)
Jonathan Thomson (Campo de Golf El Saler)
Laurie Canter (Las Colinas)
Daniel A. Brown (Las Colinas)
Jamie Rutherford (Las Colinas)
Steven Tiley (Las Colinas)

Scottish qualifiers

Robert MacIntyre (Desert Springs)
Scott Henry (Desert Springs)
Ewen Ferguson (Campo de Golf El Saler)
Ross Kellett (Campo de Golf El Saler)
David Law (Las Colinas)
Connor Syme (Las Colinas)
Chris Doak (Las Colinas)

Welsh qualifiers

Stuart Manley (Campo de Golf El Saler)
Rhys Enoch (Campo de Golf El Saler)

Northern Irish qualifiers

Cormac Sharvin (Desert Springs)
Dermot McElroy (Campo de Golf El Saler)