David Higgins, the sole Irishman to make it through to the final round at Legends Tour Final Qualifying, had to settle for a share of 12th place, failing to secure one of five Legends Tour cards on offer.
A weather-delayed third round meant Higgins returned to complete his third round before tackling the fourth and final round at Turkey’s Gloria Golf Club, knowing that he’d have to do something spectacular to bully his way into the top five, but it was too much to ask.
He birdied the par-5 16th to get back to level-par for the third round, then traded two birdies with one bogey in his final effort to post a two-under tally that was ultimately five shots short of the target required.
India’s Jyoti Randhawa was the only man to break par on all four days, shooting a closing 70 to take medalist honours at -12, and Frenchman Lionel Alexandre, Spain’s Carlos Balmaseda and Simon Griffiths from England shared second on -8, with Griffith’s countryman Andrew Marshall taking the fifth and final spot at -7.
Another Englishman, Chris Gane, who’d lead after rounds one, two and at the end of play on day three, carded a final-round 77 to plummet down the board and miss out, ultimately finishing in solo 15th, one behind Higgins.
The Waterville man will be bitterly disappointed having made Legends Tour qualification his primary goal for the season, but with just five cards on offer and 72 vying for them, it was a tall task.
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