Monday 22 October 2018 15:32, UK
While Sergio Garcia savoured a third straight win at Valderrama, Richie Ramsay and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano were celebrating retaining their European Tour cards after spirited performances in the final event of the regular season.
Ramsay and Fernandez-Castano needed a strong week at the Andalucia Masters to move into the top 116 on the Race to Dubai standings and avoid the daunting trip to the Final Stage of Qualifying School next month.
But both defied the pressure to achieve their targets, with Ramsay's tie for 11th moving him from 124th to 115th in the rankings, while seven-time European Tour winner Fernandez-Castano earned a share of fifth to jump to 104th in the Race to Dubai having started the week 125th.
"I didn't sleep the best but I think I came out and proved a lot to myself," said Ramsay, who can now look forward to his 11th consecutive season as a full European Tour player.
"It was arguably under the most pressure I've ever felt coming down the stretch, but it's a course I love which made it far easier to go out there and play.
"I had some good looks at some great putts on 16 and 17 and then I rolled in a nice little tester at the end from about three feet. A three-footer under normal circumstances is very easy, but not when your job is on the line. I'm just proud of the way I played."
Fernandez-Castano, who came through Qualifying School in November last year, added: "I'm really, really happy and also quite proud of what I've done this week; when I needed to deliver I did, so I'm excited.
"If I had to choose a tournament to keep my card it's probably this one. It doesn't particularly suit my game, but it's a course I know very well, and also I knew the scoring would not be extremely low.
"I'm very excited to be back with full status on the European Tour; it's always been my home tour and will always be. I've been away for a few years trying the American dream, unfortunately it didn't happen for me, but it's good to be back. I believe I still have a few years ahead to win tournaments, and hopefully 2019 will be one of them."
But there was disappointment for a number of European Tour regulars as the likes of Matteo Manassero and Marc Warren were both unable to force their way into the top 116.
David Horsey claimed the 116th and final place in the standings despite finishing on two over and outside the top-40 at Valderrama, while Warren's tie for 11th moved him 13 places up the rankings to 131st.
Manassero, a four-time winner on the European Tour including the 2014 BMW PGA Championship, started the tournament with high hopes of retaining his card after a solid week at the Sky Sports British Masters saw him rise to 118th.
But the Italian missed the cut in Andalucia and slipped to 124th in the final standings, and he will now have to regroup ahead of the punishing six-round Q-School finale at Lumine, which starts on November 10.
