A total of 37 players won full playing rights on next season’s Alps Tour after taking part in final qualifying at La Cala Resort in Spain.
South Africa’s Albert Venter wrote his name into the tour’s record books by winning both the first and final stage of qualifying. The 21-year-old fired rounds of 65, 70 and 68 to finish on 12 under par in Malaga, and pull three shots clear of Italy’s Federico Zucchetti and France’s Paul Bariteau.
Zucchetti carded a final round 65 to climb up into the second placed spot alongside Bariteau, who closed with a 69. Scotland’s Clarke Lutton finished fourth, with Hampshire’s Jack Singh Brar taking fifth spot after rounds of 70, 67 and 71.
Other English players to earn their cards for the Europe-based developmental tour’s 20-18 season included Luke Groves (10th), Piers Berrington (20th), Andrew Scrimshaw (21st), Paul Nessling (22nd), Tom Coulson (25th), Sam Cutting (29th), Steve Jones (33rd), Mikiel Tchobanian (34th), Ashley Mason (36th) and Tom Hayward (37th).
The 2018 Alps Tour season get underway in mid-February with two tournaments in Egypt.