Lee Slattery’s Scottish boost for card bid

Oct 7 2008 by Richard Williamson, Liverpool Daily Post

Lee Slattery, English golfer _320

MERSEYSIDE’S leading golfers go into the final weeks of the European Tour season with hopes high of retaining their cards for 2009.

But it is going to be a close call with just four tournaments remaining.

The top 115 on the European Order of Merit automatically keep their playing rights.

After the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Bromborough’s Paul Waring – who failed to make the cut in Scotland – is just inside the qualifying mark in 114th position with 221,097 euros from 20 starts.

Warrington’s Phillip Archer is five places ahead at 109 with 245,943 from 28 starts with Formby Hall’s Lee Slattery in 105th with 263,742 euros from his 25 appearances.

All three should be in action at this week’s Madrid Masters in Spain.

Leading local finisher in the Dunhill Links was defending champion Nick Dougherty.

The Liverpool golfer produced a scintillating round on the final day with a seven under par 65 at St Andrews.

He had earlier scored 74, 71, 74 for a four-under-par total of 284 and a share of 19th place, which netted a 38,184 euros prize cheque.

Dougherty is 37th on the Order of Merit with 600,424 euros from 23 tournaments, but is now likely to take a break after a traumatic year which has been overshadowed by the death of his mother.

Slattery was 65th in Scotland after shooting 68, 75, 77, 72 for a four-over-par 292 while Archer missed the cut by one shot.