Lucas Herbert completes European Tour quest

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Lucas Herbert has completed his arduous quest to earn full status on the European Tour with a tie for second at the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.

The move from 103rd to 64th in the Race to Dubai standings was the lucrative consolation prize after the 22-year-old let a two-shot lead through 54 holes slip with a closing 71, three shots behind winner Tom Lewis and level with Englishman Eddie Pepperell.

The final margin of victory is somewhat deceiving as Herbert had the chance to draw level at the 17th hole but missed his birdie chance and then a poor tee shot at the last saw him end an otherwise outstanding week with a double-bogey.

Playing on the last of his allowed seven invites and the expectation that the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship would be his last event of the year, Herbert earned 201,938 Race to Dubai points – not to mention E173,710 in prizemoney – that will allow him to expand his schedule.

The top 70 players following the Valderrama Masters qualify for the first of the finals series events, the Turkish Airlines Open, but a disappointed Herbert was more satisfied with securing full status for 2019 and set his sights on an even greater goal.

“The goal at the start of the year was to get a main Tour card and we’ve done that, so that’s a pretty good feeling,” Herbert said.

“Moving up the World Rankings is obviously the goal. Give myself the best chance by the end of next year to make the Presidents Cup team.

“If I can keep doing this I’m not going too far wrong I hope.

“I can’t be too critical of myself and I have to try to take the positives at the moment even though it’s not ideal not winning after carrying a lead into the last round.

“If I keep putting myself here enough times, surely one of them has to work out?

“It’s hard with golf, you don’t win very often. It’s pretty clichéd but you have to try to take the positives.

“I played three really good rounds under pressure when I needed to to get my card, so I’ll try to think about that when I look back at this week.”

At the beginning of the year Herbert attended qualifying schools in both Canada and China but after taking affiliate status on the European Tour following the Australian PGA Championship finished third at the co-sanctioned ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth to open the door.

At the start of the week in Portugal he required some 40,000 points in order to earn more starts but after playing in Oman, China, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands this year he can set a more certain schedule next year.

Herbert wasn’t the only Australian to make a significant move in the Race to Dubai rankings with West Australian Jason Scrivener edging closer to retaining his card for 2019.

Starting the week with a 5-under par round of 66, Scrivener’s four rounds in the 60s saw him finish in a tie for 12th and move up from the precarious position of 110th in the standings to a slightly more comfortable 99th.

After roaring back into contention on Saturday with a third round of 64 Kiwi Ryan Fox’s closing 71 saw him finish the week tied for 27th with countryman Josh Geary and Aussie Jason Norris tied for 56th at 7-under par.

Dimi Papadatos remains in 14th position on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah standings on the European Challenge Tour despite missing the cut at the Hopps Open de Provence in France, Romain Langasque recording a three-shot win.

The second phase of First Stage European Tour Qualifying School also came to a close over the weekend with Brett Rankin and Bryden MacPherson both advancing to Second Stage from the Austrian leg.

A second round of 7-under 65 propelled Rankin to a fourth-place finish but MacPherson had to do it the hard way.

Entering the final round tied for 44th, the Victorian had seven birdies and a solitary bogey in a 6-under 66 that saw him vault up the leaderboard to a tie for 20th and one of the last qualifying spots.