TOUR SCHOOL: Three Irish players, Damien Mooney, Michael McGeady and Douglas amateur Peter O'Keeffe, have qualified for next week's final tour school qualifying after Stage Two finished in Spain yesterday.
A total of 74 players progressed through the Second Stage of Qualifying School and will join the 82 exempt players in the 156-man field for The European Tour Qualifying School Finals played over the Old and New Courses at San Roque Club, Spain, from November 15th-20th.
The top 30 and ties after that six-round examination will graduate to The 2008 European Tour International Schedule.
O'Keeffe shared sixth place on 283 after a 72 at Sherry GC where Sion Bebb led the qualifiers with a final round 73 for an 12-under-par total of 276.
McGeady was also inside the cut mark after an excellent 69 left him on three-under-par 285.
At Costa Ballena, Adam Bland from Australia topped the list of successful qualifiers with a final round of 68 for a 17-under-par total of 271. Twenty players, including Damien Mooney, who shot 72 for 281, made it through to the Final Stage.
TOUR NEWS: Ronan Flood, caddie for Padraig Harrington, scooped the top prize in the HSBC Caddie of the Year awards, which took place during the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
Flood was voted HSBC Caddie of the Year by his fellow bagmen, who praised the Dubliner for his "professionalism" and "open and friendly manner" as well as his success in this year's British Open Championship.
Flood, who is also Harrington's brother-in-law and a low handicap golfer in his own right, thanked all the caddies who had voted for him as well as everyone back home in Dublin who have supported himself and Padraig over the last year.
Giles Morgan, HSBC's head of sponsorship said: "The HSBC Champions is about the world's best golfers, but their caddies often play unsung roles in their success.
"We introduced these awards night last year but also to recognise their role on Tour. Ronan and Padraig have had a fantastic year and Ronan was a very popular winner with everyone last night."
Other winners on the night, which was hosted by Sky Sports' Richard Boxall, included: Colin Byrne (Retief Goosen's caddie, and Irish Times columnist) who won the Best Prepared Caddie Award after coming to China without a visa and Craig Connelly (Colin Montgomerie's caddie) who won the Best Entertainer Award for keeping the tour amused with his good humour.
SENIORS: Italy's Costantino Rocca and England's Carl Mason both had reasons to celebrate when the European Seniors Tour season ended on Saturday. Rocca fired a final round of six under par 66 to finish on a winning 54 hole total of 10-under-par 206 at the Buckinghamshire GC to capture the final tournament of the year - The Kingdom of Bahrain Trophy, Seniors Tour Championship.
Mason, meanwhile, collected the John Jacobs Trophy awarded annually to the winner of the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit, which he topped for the third time following a record-breaking year.
Rocca, 50, secured his second victory of his debut senior season by one shot from England's Nick Job, who three-putted the final hole to miss out on a play-off with his playing partner. Rocca said: "My first year on the seniors tour has not been easy - there are a lot of good players - but it has been very enjoyable. My game has come along this week and I am very happy it did."
Des Smyth was best of the Irish on 216 after a final round of 71, while Denis O'Sullivan was on 218 after a a 70 and Eamon Darcy on 231 after a 74.
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