Simon Thornton has achieved much in his Rookie year on the European Tour and more than the results may suggest at first glance – which has given him the chance to learn the ropes after years on the Irish PGA Region and his time on the Challenge Tour.
Currently 136th in the Race to Dubai Simon Thornton will return to Q School next month in the knowledge that his consistency in the 2010 season was rewarded in the two of the season’s re-ranks – moving him from 29th at the outset to 12th by the end of the season. At the end of the season he had earned € 116,954.
Having missed the cut in his first Tour event in South Africa Thornton then went on to finish a creditable 17th - in only his second event - which was followed by 36th place at the Open de Andalucia and then 10th place at the Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal in April – an event he decided to risk playing although it was the weekend his first Daughter was due.
In the build up to the first Re-rank in May the former Royal County Down Assistant Professional missed five consecutive cuts - Open de España in Sevilla, BMW Italian Open in Italy, Ibedrola Open Calla Millor Mallorca and the Madrid Masters – but was fortunate to have done enough in the early part of the season to move to 18th place.
At the Celtic Manor Wales Open in June Thornton notched up a 61st place finish which was followed by the sixth missed cut at the Estoril Open de Portugal and then a 9th place in Germany. His weekend at the BMW International Open at Eichenreid Golfclub in Munich saw him play in the final group on Sunday with Bradley Dredge and Ross Fisher - following three rounds of 67 – showing that Thornton clearly has the game for the big time.
Having arrived in a positive frame of mind to Killarney for the 3 Irish Open Thornton was disappointed with his first round of 71, which was followed on Friday by a 74, to finish three shots off cut and an early trip home to Newcastle, County Down.
After a few weeks break playing on the Irish Region Thornton was back in action at the Czech Open - but missed his seventh cut of the season – which was followed by a 29th place at the Johnnie Walker Championship in Gleneagles and a cheque for fifteen thousand Euro.
It was perhaps the last few events that Thornton failed to exact any return missing out on valuable earnings at the 2010 Vivendi Cup, Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Castello Masters Costa Azahar. Then at the Portugal Masters Thornton was a very late replacement on the Thursday morning and being unprepared was unable to make the most of the opportunity that weekend.
In summary Simon Thornton’s elevation to European Tour status completed a remarkable rise through the professional ranks the Irish passport holder was playing off a handicap of seven just a decade or so ago. However hard work and perseverance paid off and he progressed firstly through the Irish PGA regional circuit, before moving onto the EuroPro Tour and then graduating to the Challenge Tour last year posting two top ten finishes en route to 51st place in the Rankings
“When I first went over to work as an assistant in the pro shop at Royal County Down, I could barely hit it out of my own shadow,” he has admitted.
Thornton earned his European Tour card in the end after successfully negotiating his way to Final Qualifying School in 2009 doing enough to see him finish inside the ten under par cut-off for the 29th card.
On a personal front it has also been a year of extremes as in January his Father passed away only days before his first event, the Africa Open in East London. Bravely, Simon played the event - as he had agreed with his Father - returning to England for the funeral after the tournament. Then in April his family was extended with the arrive of his Daughter, Katie.
Fact File
Date of Birth: March 18th, 1977
Attachment: Team Ireland Golf
Place of Birth: Bradford, England
Turned Pro: 2005
Qualifying School (2005), (06), (07), 08, 09*
