Dunhill withdrawal forces Edoardo Molinari into European Tour qualifying school

01 October 2015 11:01

Former Ryder Cup player Edoardo Molinari will have to return to the European Tour qualifying school for the first time since 2008 after calling an early end to his season.

Molinari, who partnered his brother Francesco to World Cup victory for Italy in 2009 and in Europe's win at Celtic Manor a year later, was due to play in this week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

However, the 34-year-old wrote on Twitter on Thursday: " Unfortunately I had to pull out from @DunhillLinks and the remaining events for personal reasons. My next tournament will now be Q-School."

Molinari, who made three visits to the qualifying school before winning three tournaments to top the Challenge Tour rankings in 2009, is 154th on the Race to Dubai with only the top 110 retaining their cards at the end of the season.

The two-time European Tour winner, who came back from a serious wrist injury to finish 40th on the money list last season, has failed to record a top-10 finish in 2015 and is currently ranked 279th in the world. He was ranked a career-high 14th in October 2010.

On the course, Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen was setting the early pace in the pro-am event played on the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

Starting on the back nine at Kingsbarns, which has produced two scores of 60 in the previous three years, Kjeldsen followed two pars with five birdies in the next seven holes to enjoy a one-shot lead over a six-strong group which included England's James Morrison and Scotland's Scott Jamieson.

Source: PA