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Willett and Wood secure European Tour cards

Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Paula Benn
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Danny Willett (photo courtesy of Tom Ward)

Young England Internationals Daniel Willett and Chris Wood have furthered their already burgeoning golfing careers by gaining playing privileges on the PGA European Tour for 2009.

Now young professionals, both came through in style at last week’s Tour Qualifying School in Spain and can look forward to linking up with many more former England caps such as Ross McGowan, Oliver Fisher, Ross Fisher and David Horsey next year.

Willett, 21, from Sheffield, finished fourth after six gruelling rounds at PGA Golf de Catalunya, his closing 70 leaving him on 414, 16 under par, and just five strokes behind the winner, Oskar Henningsson of Sweden.

Wood, from Bristol, was a shot further back after a closing 68, finishing alongside former Ryder Cup Swede Joakim Haeggman.

In 2007, Willett became English Champion then made his full England debut in the Home Internationals in Ireland. He also won the South of England Stroke Play Championship before being selected for the Walker Cup at Royal County Down. Prior to turning professional this year, he won the Spanish Amateur and the Australian Stroke Play Championship and was a member of the winning European team in the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy and for England against France.

Wood enjoyed a highly successful 2007 by winning the West of England Stroke Play Championship and the Russian Amateur while finishing runner-up in South West Championship, the Tillman Trophy and the Gloucestershire Championship and reaching the quarter finals of the Amateur Championship. That record saw him top the PING/EGU Order of Merit, a title he retained this year after winning the Welsh Open Stroke Play and finishing fourth in the Lytham Trophy.

Like Willett, Wood made his full England debut in the 2007 Home Internationals and was also a member of the winning Bonallack Trophy team and of the England squad against France. He turned professional in July after winning the silver medal for the leading amateur after finishing tied fifth in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.