Nov. 26, 2004 – American Bob Boyd finished as the star pupil at the European Seniors Tour Qualifying School Finals following a brilliant performance over the Pinta Course at Pestana Golf Resort in the Algarve.
Boyd completed a wire-to-wire victory with a final round four under par 67 to finish seven strokes ahead of compatriot Rex Caldwell, who carded a 68.
The top eight finishers secured their full cards for next season and so also heading for the 2005 European Seniors Tour are Englishmen Kevin Spurgeon, Gordon Townhill and Martin Foster, Lee Carter from the United States, Spain’s Emilio Rodriguez, and Frenchman Jean Pierre Sallat.
Boyd won Stage One of the Qualifying School at Le Meridien Penina last Friday and ran away from the field in the Finals thanks to some flawless golf.
He only missed three greens in 72 holes and made just one bogey, which came on the 16th in the final round. He finished the tournament on 19 under par 265 - which matched compatriot Steve Stulls winning total when the Qualifying School was first played over the Pinta Course in 2001.
Boyd is 49 and will have to wait until he turns 50 next July before he joins the Seniors Tour. “I am excited to win. This is what I wanted to do. This is a very good tour and I look forward to being able to play when I turn 50,” said Boyd, who won €4,272 (£3,000).
“I got off to a good start today and hit the ball very well. That relaxed me a little. I turned at three under and that kind of got me going. It really felt very good out there. I made a bad club selection on 16 and overshot the green. Even though I did not putt exceptionally well I made some putts as we went along,” added the American, who was the National Club Pro champion in 1988.
Boyd played on the US PGA Tour in the early 1980s and since then has divided his time between working as head professional at Magnolia Greens Golf Plantation and playing in tournaments North Carolina.
Caldwell, who won the World Cup with John Cook in 1983, booked his place on the Seniors Tour thanks to a final round made up of five birdies and two bogeys.
“This is just great to make it through. I am really looking forward to being exempt on Tour for the whole season,” said Caldwell.
Players tied on the same score competed in a sudden death play off to determine their final ranking position. Spurgeon, whose father Keith was the manager of Ajax in the early 1960s, defeated Carter to claim the third card after they had finished tied for third on 11 under.
Rodriguez and Foster finished fifth and sixth outright respectively while former professional footballer Sallat claimed the seventh card by beating Townhill.
Sallat and Townhill finished the tournament tied on six under and had the comfort of a three shot cushion from the chasing pack. Players ranked nine to 16th earned conditional cards for next year.
Source: The PGA European Tour
