Saltman steps up top tour bid
Sam Berkeley • Published 21 Jun 2012 09:29
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Archerfield pro Lloyd Saltman is aiming to use this week's Scottish Hydro Challenge as the springboard for a return to the European Tour next season.
The 26-year-old (pictured) only narrowly missed out on retaining his card in the top-tier tour last year, having come through tour qualifying school in December 2010 along with big brother Elliot.
The younger Saltman has been in good form so far this season and has made a mark both on events in the second-tier Challenge Tour and the European Tour, with his 133rd finish in last season's Race to Dubai - a top-118 place would have seen him retain his card - meaning he has qualified to take part in several top tier events.
But Saltman believes that finishing in the top 20 in the Challenge Tour this year is his best chance of making an instant return to the European Tour and so this week's Challenge Tour event at the Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Club at Aviemore is crucial to his hopes of bouncing straight back.
He will hope that the combination of a home crowd and a prize fund of more than £175,000 will spur him on to success at the tournament, which was due to start yesterday (Thursday) and will conclude on Sunday.
Saltman's impressive performances against the European Tour big boys have seen him finish tied-22nd in the Nordea Masters - ahead of Edoardo Molinari - and 36th in last week's Saint-Omer Open.
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