Caldwell falls to seventh as Lundberg tops Europro Tour graduates
Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg
Ballymena’s Jonny Caldwell missed out on automatic promotion to the Challenge Tour — for the time being at least — after he finished tied 48th in the season-ending PGA Europro Tour Championship at Desert Springs.
The leading five players in the Road to Desert Spring standings win Challenge Tour cards at the end of the year but Caldwell slipped from fifth to seventh in the standings after a closing 80 at the Almería track - just £339 behind fifth ranked Todd Clements.
Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg (Lumine Golf Club) clinched the the title and the Order of Merit with victory in his first season on the Tour, carding rounds of 64, 73 and 69 to force a playoff with James Allan on 10-under.
The playoff took place on the last with both Allan and Lundberg going bogey-par the first two times before the Swede got up and down from greenside sand to win with a par-four.
The final PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit was confirmed with Lundberg, Richard Mansell, Marco Penge, Alfie Plant and Todd Clements securing Challenge Tour cards for next season.
Caldwell could yet be promoted as the top five could earn European Tour or Challenge Tour cards at the Q-School in Spain next week.
PGA Europro Tour
PGA Europro Tour Championship, Desert Springs, Spain (Par 72)
Final
1, M Lundberg (Swe) 64 73 69 206 (£22,540);
2, J Allan (Eng) 67 68 71 206 (£11,270);
T3 R Campbell (Sco) 75 66 67 208 £4,785, O Clarke (Eng) 72 65 71 208 (£4,7855);
5, C O'Neil (Sco) 67 71 71 209 (£3,500).
Irish
T25, JR Galbraith (Whitehead) 73 72 70 215, N Kearney (Royal Dublin) 73 68 74 215;
34, D McElroy (Ballymena) 70 70 77 217;
T45 T Rice (Limerick) 74 71 78 223;
T48, J Caldwell (Clandeboye) 72 72 80 224.
Final Order of Merit
(Top 5 earn Challenge Tour cards with more to be added from top 10 money winners following European Tour Q-School):
1, M Lundberg (Swe) £37,455;
2, R Mansell (Eng) £28,260;
3, M Penge (Eng) £25,075;
4, A Plant (Eng) £23,116;
5, T Clements (Eng) £21,400.
Leading Irish:
7, J Caldwell £21,061;
34, N Kearney £6,879;
40, JR Galbraith £6,470;
41, T Rice £6,393;
59, D McElroy £4,273.
