Ewen Ferguson racks up crucial European Tour points

Grant Forrest has turned professional with immediate effect and will make his debut in the paid

ranks on home soil in next week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The 23-year-old has secured an invitation for the $5 million European Tour Pro-Am event at

Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews, joining recent pro recruit and Bounce Sport stablemate

Ewen Ferguson in the star-studded line-up. — Grant Forrest has turned professional with immediate effect and will make his debut in the paid ranks on home soil in next week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The 23-year-old has secured an invitation for the $5 million European Tour Pro-Am event at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews, joining recent pro recruit and Bounce Sport stablemate Ewen Ferguson in the star-studded line-up.

While the focus was mainly on Royal Portrush at the weekend, the Challenge Tour hopefuls were battling it out for points as they aim to win their European Tour cards for next season.

Ferguson forced his way into contention on the final day, but in the end had to settle for second best to another young Scot, Calum Hill from Kinross.

Hill carded just three bogeys in 72 holes to win the Euram Bank Open, his second European Challenge Tour title, at Golf Club Adamstal and jump into the top 15 on the Order of Merit.

He added a bogey-free 66, four under par, to his opening rounds of 65-64-67 to reach 18 under par and win by four shots ahead of countryman Ferguson and Portugal’s José -Filipe Lima, who both finished on 14 under par following final rounds of 64 and 65, respectively.

Ferguson flew up the leaderboard on day four to secure his best Challenge Tour finish of tied second with Lima, both of whom kept the bogeys off the card and in doing so finished one shot clear of Ford, Grégory Havret, Rikard Karlberg and Oliver Lindell who all shared fourth place on 13 under par.

Frenchman Ugo Coussaud and Poland’s Adrian Meronk completed the top ten having finished on 12 under par, with both men carding four under par rounds of 66.

Meanwhile, two-time European Tour winner Julien Quesne set a new course record at Golf Club Adamstal after signing for a superb nine under par round of 61, beating the previous record by one.

Ferguson ended his tournament by carding rounds of 68, 67, 67 and 64.

With his win, Hill jumps to sixth place in the Challenge Tour Rankings while Ferguson’s second place moves him onto the cusp of the top 15, in 17th spot.

It’s been a solid season for Ferguson who has recorded a few top 20 finishes already.

At the end of the season, the top 15 players all win their playing priviledges for the main tour next season.

Another Scot, Connor Syme from Drumoig in Fife, is also making a dent in this season’s rankings, currently sitting sixth.

After a week’s break in the International Schedule, the Challenge Tour will travel to Finland for the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge from August 1-4.