Tom McKibbin maintained his Road to Mallorca hopes by finishing just outside the top-10 at the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos.
The 19-year-old carded five birdies and a bogey in a four-under 68 in his final round in Vau Óbidos to end the week tied for 12th at 10-under-par.
The Galgorm teen was always an outside bet to claim the title as he started the final round six shots off the lead, but another solid performance helped him in the Order of Merit.
McKibbin remains 13th in the Road to Mallorca with just five events remaining, with the Ulsterman needing to finish in the top-20 to earn his DP World Tour card for next season.
The win went to Pierre Pineau as he triumphed in an all-French three-way play-off with David Ravetto and Félix Mory in Portugal for his first Challenge Tour title.
Mory had set the clubhouse target as he closed with back-to-back birdies in a 66 to reach 15-under-par, a score matched by Pineau after a 67 and then Ravetto with a 68, both of whom birdied the 18th as well.
Overnight leaders Todd Clements and Jeong weon Ko had dreadful final rounds, shooting a 74 and 73 respectively, to finish well off the pace leaving the three fellow countrymen to battle it out for the title.
And it was Pineau who prevailed on the first play-off hole, draining a monster eagle putt on the par-five 18th that he celebrated with an emphatic fist-pump.
Derry’s Ruaidhri McGee finished in a tie for 33rd as three birdies and four bogeys in a one-over 73 in his final round dropped him back to four-under-par.
A one-under 71 took Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell up to one-under-par for the tournament to a 47th-placed finish, a 73 from Gavin Moynihan saw him finish 65th at four-over-par, while a disappointing 77 dropped Gary Hurley to eight-over-par, good for 72nd.
Leave a comment