IN SPITE of playing all four rounds at the Valero Texas Open, won by Zach Johnson on Sunday, and taking home a cheque for nearly $9,000, which boosted his earnings for the year on the PGA Tour to $741,515, Martin Laird faces a testing time over the next four weeks to keep his card.
The first Scot in 20 years with full membership on the American circuit, Laird yesterday slipped from 122nd on the US money-list to 125th place after finishing in a tie for 70th with scores of 67, 71, 71 and 72 for 281. The top 125 on the tour retai
n playing privileges for 2009, so Laird finds himself with work to do to safeguard his position.
Currently $28,000 in front of the golfer in 126th spot, the Glaswegian knows he needs a positive performance in the Justin Timberlake Open in Las Vegas this weekend to move away from the danger zone.
Meanwhile, on the European Tour, Peter Whiteford, David Drysdale, Craig Lee and Allan McLean are set to lose their cards. None of the endangered Scots are in the field for this week's tournament in Portugal.
Bearing in mind the season-ending Volvo Masters is restricted to the top 60 on the Order of Merit, this means none of the quartet will get another opportunity to improve their positions.
At the Madrid Open, Whiteford, Drysdale and Lee all missed the cut and are now 143rd, 149th and 185th respectively. Only the top 118 players in Europe keep their playing rights for next season, and the fate of the four Scots is now effectively sealed.
Whiteford and Lee will have to turn their attention towards tour school if they want to regain playing privileges for 2009. Whiteford will have to keep his fingers crossed he stays inside the top 145 over the next couple of weeks so that he gains an exemption into the final stage of the qualifying school in Spain, from 13-18 November. Of the 156 golfers who take part in that test, the top 30 and ties receive cards.
Drysdale is playing in Italy this week on the Challenge Tour, where he hopes to improve on 32nd place on the development tour's money-list. He will gain an exemption for the main Tour if he finishes in the top 20.
The same incentive applies to Andrew McArthur (22nd) and Greig Hutcheon (31st). Richie Ramsay and Steven O'Hara are ranked in the top ten and already heading for the Race to Dubai.
The full article contains 430 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
