CHRIS HANSON earned £1,090 for a share of eighth place in the end-of-season PGA Europro Tour Championship at windswept St Andrews Bay.

But it was not enough to lift him into the top six in the final order of merit who gained cards on next season’s European Challenge Tour.

The Crosland Heath man has filled 11th spot in the merit list with £12,527 from 13 events played after closing the Tour Championship on one over par 145, an event reduced to 36 holes after the first round was delayed 24 hours because of high winds and the third and final round cancelled.

He was in a good position after covering the first nine holes of the first round in three under par but five bogies against one birdie on the home run meant a 73 that left him much to do. He added a level par 72 with an equal number of four birdies and bogies.

Nottinghamshire’s Andrew Willey was the only player in the select field of 54 leading money-winners to finish under par, his two under total giving him a two strokes victory and the top cheque of £20,000, which hoisted him to second in the order of merit.

South Yorkshire duo Graeme Clark and Neil Walker – among 13 Yorkshire players who play in the second stage of the European Tour qualifying school in Spain which starts tomorrow – confirmed their places on the Challenge Tour as they respectively claimed first and third places in the order of merit.

The leading six won promotion to the Challenge Tour, that number increasing from five as Ireland’s Colm Moriarty had already secured a card by winning a Challenge Tour event.

Leading scores: 140 - A Willey (Ramsdale Park) 71 69. 142- M Cort (unat) 72 70. 143- R Steele (Kenilworth) 74 69; G Clark (Doncaster) 73 70. 144 - A Murray (Greystones) 75 69; T Haylock (HES) 75 69; N Walker (Rotherham) 73 71. 145 - C Hanson (Crosland Heath) 73 72; L Harper (Archfield Links) 73 72; I Ridgway (High Legh Park) 73 72.

Other Yorkshire scores: 153 - R Wheatley (Bingley St Ives) 77 76. 157 - J Mason (Rotherham) 81 76.

Final order of merit leaders: Clark £43,688 (14 events); Willey £29,818 (15); Walker £22,414 (12); Moriarty £17,930 (6); M Woods (Donnington Grove) £15,181 (14); D Wardrop (Didsbury) £15,082 (13).