Anirban Lahiri lying 3rd in Q School

Edited by Anand Datla

November 18, 2014: Anirban Lahiri suffered his worst round of the week, slumping to a 73 in the fourth round of the European Tour’s Qualifying School Final Stage. However, his effort was enough to leave the Indian lying in joint second at an event designed to control the destiny of a vast collection of golfers. The top 25 golfers from this event, at the end of six rounds, will earn the right to a card for the European Tour next week.

Unfortunately for SSP Chowrasia, the door was slammed shut with a merciless thud. The Kolkata golfer fell just two short of the cut line to slip out of the tournament. His exit dashed the burning hopes of Chowrasia to make a return to the European Tour after a brief hiatus.

On a dramatic cut day, Matt Ford motored into the lead as the Englishman remained on course to avoid having to supplement his golf career with a winter job as a postman.

Ford has recently applied for a job with Britain’s postal service the Royal Mail, having struggled for form on the Challenge Tour this year, but a four under par fourth round of 68 moved him to the summit on 13 under and put him in the driving seat for a rookie season on The European Tour.

The 36 year old was one shot clear of World Number 75 Anirban Lahiri and 17 year old Italian Renato Paratore, but it was American John Hahn who stole the headlines as he carded an incredible 12 under par 68 on the par-70 Tour Course at PGA Catalunya Resort.

Leader Ford may well have taken 10 shots more than Hahn, but his 68 over the more difficult Stadium Course may well prove a career-changer – quite literally – as he eyes a maiden season on The European Tour, having sounded out a job outside golf for the winter months.

“To be honest it was a bit of a surprise when I stepped onto the 16th green and saw my name at the top of the leaderboard,” said the Swindon-born player. “It wasn’t really my focus to get up to the top, I was just making sure to keep it going to make the cut.

“I have only made it to the Final Stage once before and this is the first time I’ve made the cut. I have missed out quite a few times in Second Stage so I was happy to just make sure I was here for the final two days.

“Today was probably the least amount of birdie opportunities I’ve given myself this week, but I made the putts that I gave myself and holed a nice 40-footer for eagle at the 15th.

“I applied for a job with the Royal Mail and it still hasn’t been confirmed yet, it’s just being finalised. It’s just a Christmas job for December but I might have a more important job at hand soon so I may not be able to do it.

“I haven’t earned much money on the Challenge Tour this year so it was a back-up plan because I’ve got a young family at home and I need to keep the money coming in. It’s quite strange because ever since I did that, I’ve started playing better golf.

“It might be the fear factor; that I don’t want to do that. This is what I want to do. It’s maybe a reality check that if I don’t do it out here on tour, then that is what I will have to do.

“I’m not going to think about The European Tour yet, I have to just keep going the way I have been. If I shoot two more rounds under par then I’ll be there.”

Paratore, meanwhile, is on course to become the youngest player to qualify for The European Tour via Qualifying School in 32 years after the two-time Junior Ryder Cup player and Youth Olympic individual gold medal winner carded a three under par 69 on the Stadium Course to join Lahiri in a share of second place on 12 under.

Further down the leaderboard, there was joy and heartbreak in equal measure as 78 players made the cut, which fell at one under par after four days of the gruelling six-round marathon.

Hahn’s round moved him from four shots outside the cut line, up 93 places to a share of tied 12th, while South African Justin Walters climbed 63 places courtesy of an eight under 62 on the Tour Course to make it to the final two days’ play.

Walters’ compatriot Trevor Fisher Jnr fell to a five over par 77 on the Stadium Course to drop outside the cut line and end his week in tied 90th position, while Australian Marcus Both bogeyed the final hole on the Stadium Course to miss the cut by a single shot.

Big names to miss the cut included Nick Dougherty of England and Swede Johan Edfors, both three-time European Tour winners, while Lee Slattery also dropped out after day four having missed out on retaining his card by a single place, after having finished 111th in The 2014 Race to Dubai.