Whitnell aiming for place on PGA European tour (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Whitnell aiming for place on PGA European tour

9:00am Thursday 19th November 2009

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TWO of the biggest weeks of Dale Whitnell’s young golfing career lie ahead as the Tiptree star bids to take his place among Europe’s elite talent.

The 21-year-old Five Lakes member is heading to the second stage of the PGA European Tour Qualifying School on Friday and is confident that he has the game to propel him into the final round and beyond.

The ultimate prize that Whitnell and about 300 others are vying for is one of 30 coveted Tour cards that give automatic entry to tournaments on the PGA European Tour next year, where they will face the likes of Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia.

Whitnell has had a memorable 2009, which has seen him play for England against Australia, for Great Britain in the Walker Cup, win the English Golf Union’s Order of Merit and turn professional and he is hoping to cap that with a card.

He said: “I’m feeling pretty confident about it as my game is going well and I’m just hoping that I can go there and make it count.

“I’ve been looking to make sure my game is sharp so that I can peak at the right time.

“There’s no point in peaking too early so I have to make sure I get through this second stage and hit my peak in the final round.

“I think I have the game to get the Tour card and then keep it next year.

“I went there last year and that was good experience as I now know what it is all about, whereas some of the boys are going there for the first time.”

Whitnell made it into the final stage at PGA Golf de Catalunya last year, but he was not one of the top 73 players who made the cut for the final two rounds.

He is hoping he can use his experience to help him go further this year, but knows his game will have to be at its best.

The Tiptree man headed to Spain yesterday for the Qualifying School’s second stage, which starts on Friday.

He is competing at one of four venues – Hacienda Del Alamos, in Murcia – and while it is a course Whitnell has never played before, he is is expecting it to be a lengthy test.

“It is a new course so nobody really knows what to expect,” he said.

“But we do know it will be long as it is supposed to be the longest course in Spain.”

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