Graeme Storm’s immediate career was looking a little grim after he bogeyed the final hole at the European Tour’s last event of the regular season, the Portuguese Masters. That one shot left him €100 behind fellow Englishman David Howell for the 111th and final card for 2016-2017, and facing a return to the Qualifying School.
Then American Patrick Reed withdrew from the next event and first of the Race to Dubai final series), the Turkish Airlines Open, meaning he had failed to meet the minimum tournament start requirements to maintain his playing privileges for the next season – thus enabling Storm to rise one place in the order of merit.
"It's an incredible relief," Storm told the Northern Echo. "I can't believe the events of the last couple of weeks, when I've been told this and that and obviously thought I had lost my card. Now it is just total relief that I've got my card back and I don't have to go back to Tour school. It's incredible."
