Isle of Man amateur Ana Dawson staged a superb late charge to earn second tier playing rights on the Ladies European Tour for next season.
FORMAT: 90-hole stroke play
In the penultimate round of Final Qualifying, The Peel GC golfer was four shots off making the cut with nine holes to go at La Manga.
But Dawson, with boyfiend and caddie Will Enefer alongside her, came home in 32 to qualify for the fifth and final round and then rounded off her week with a stand-out 69 (-4) to finish 31st overall.
The 22-year-old is set to turn pro next month with the enlarged LET schedule kicking off in Kenya in February. The top 20 earned full playing rights while those who finishing in the next 30 places are guaranteed 15 starts in 2023.
Having posted a 77 on the South course on Wednesday, the former Comboy Scratch champion needed something special in the fourth round but had to be patient having turned in a birdie-free 37.
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Having started at the 10th in the first group out she was unaware what would be required but with windy conditions making scoring difficult, she did not get too downhearted.
And birdies at the second (her 11th) and fifth (14th) got her two within one of the projected cut.
“After that birdie on the fifth, Will said that parring in should be enough,” said Dawson.
“It got quite windy but thankfully I birdied the ninth. I only had a one-foot putt left and I thought ‘even I can’t miss this’.”
A superb 150-yard approach at her final hole ensured she would play on the final day, where she went bogey-free.
And at one point a top-20 place looked possible as she turned in a three-under 33 having, again, started on the tenth.
However she could not quite maintain the pace and a three-putt par on the par five sixth (15th) effectively ended her top-20 challenge. She would close on one under, just two shots away from earning full playing rights.
For all the scores click here