Amherst resident Dick Mast, formerly of Forest, carded a four-under-par round of 67 for the third time in four days to win this week’s European Senior Tour Qualifying School tournament finals in Portugal by seven strokes on Thursday.
The 59-year-old had started the day with a three-stroke lead over Englishman Paul Wesselingh and extended that margin to seven shots with a clinical display at Pestana Golf Resort’s Vale da Pinta, finishing at 14-under-par 270.
Wesselingh also secured a card in comfortable fashion, closing with a round of 71 to take second place. American Zeke P Martinez, who began his final round with two birdies and a double bogey, eagled the 16th en route to a 69 as he finished in third place at four under par. English pair Steve Cipa (73) and Jeff Hall (70) and Canadian Rick Gibson (71) shared fourth position at two under.
All six earned full cards for the 2012 Senior Tour season, with the 12 remaining players securing conditional cards.
But the day belonged to Mast who succeeds fellow American Tim Thelen as the Senior Tour Qualifying School champion.
"It was my goal to win the Qualifying School but it was a difficult challenge," he said. "I tend to be a gambler but I played more percentages over the last couple of days."
Mast birdied the second and fourth holes but bogeys on the fifth and seventh holes reduced his advantage over Wesselingh to two shots. However the momentum then swung back in Mast’s favor when he holed a crucial 25-foot birdie putt on the eighth hole followed by an eight-footer on the 10th.
Further birdies on the 16th and 17th holes sealed the victory for Mast, who finished third in the 2006 Senior Open Championship at Turnberry.
"It is a big privilege to get onto the European Senior Tour," Mast said. "I’ve not been exempt on the US Champions Tour since 2007 and I’ve always wanted to come over here and play more than I have. Hopefully I can play some good golf too."
Mast had led the qualifiers from First Stage at Pestana’s Gramacho course last week and he has now set his sights on continuing that form into the new season.
"I’d like to win a tournament and get some momentum going into The Senior Open Championship back at Turnberry," he said. "I’d also like to try to qualify for The Open itself, so hopefully this win can be a momentum builder. I’m really looking forward to coming over and seeing Europe."
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