Isle of Man pro golfer Tom Gandy has continued his march towards realising his dream of competing at the pinnacle of his sport on the European Tour.

His latest success was a third-place finish in the penultimate stage of qualifying for that coveted playing card on next year’s tour.

The result means that Gandy has now notched up and incredible run of seven consecutive top-10 finishes in all events since the Irish Masters in late August.

These include the final three events of the regular EuroPro season, the end-of-year Tour Championship and the first two stages of Q School, the qualifying pathway to the ultimate prize in European golf.

This fantastic series of results leaves the Rowany golfer only six rounds away from his dream, as he tees up in Spain starting on Thursday for the most important week of his life, seeking to earn the right to compete alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia at events all around the globe.

The stage two event held at Alenda, near Alicante in Spain was scheduled to finish on Sunday, but some very un-Spanish weather - especially the wind - wreaked havoc with the timings and saw players have to return on Monday to complete their four rounds.

But Gandy’s experience and recent confidence ensured that the delay didn’t faze him and he showed real composure in his last dozen holes to pull himself comfortably out of the pack and ensure he finished a fine third, well inside the top 20 required to progress to stage three.

’I was one under par when the wind kicked up on about the 7th hole and things got tough,’ explained the 27-year-old. ’I had no idea of what the scoring would be like, and I missed chances on the 7th, 8th, and 9th.

’The 10th and 11th were directly into the very strong wind and, after safely negotiating the 10th for par, my six iron into the 11th green came out flush and straight at the flag, finishing six feet away from the hole.

’I rolled that putt in, then birdied two of the next three which let me relax and enjoy the closing holes, even though they were into the now ridiculous, Rowany-esque wind.’

This latest success was the culmination of a long, tough week as a number of delays because of wind meant that players were taking three days to play a single round at one stage. Fortunately for Tom, he had plenty of support to keep his mind off the delays and help him stay in the zone.

’I had my brother Jay with me who was amazing, keeping spirits high and then making me quickly refocus when it was time to go back to work.

’I also had Ant and Helen Collis out to cheer me on, friends who have been incredible supporters for a number of years so it was great to have them there to watch.

’I was pleased with my performance despite the tough conditions, in what is probably one of the biggest tournaments I’ve ever played in, and hope that I’m doing the island proud, including my unbelievably supportive family and girlfriend!’

This Q School stage two success came hot on the heels of a good performance in the Tour Championship event a little further down the Spanish coast at the Desert Springs resort.

A fantastic first round had put him right in contention and it is a measure of how far Gandy’s expectations have risen that his eventual joint 10th finish was almost a disappointment.

But it was enough to cement a top-30 finish on the season’s Order of Merit - no mean feat considering he had a poor start to the season and the disproportionate pay cheques that winning attracts.

While victory at Desert Springs would have lifted Tom up one level next year, earning him a place on the intermediate Challenge Tour, this week’s six rounds now offer him an even more powerful launch pad.

With the event being shown on Sky Sports, this is an opportunity to jump straight onto the European Tour and into the front room of golf viewers, not only across the Isle of Man, but worldwide.

One thing is for sure: wherever his golf takes him, he will be proudly flying the Manx flag wherever he goes.

’I’m absolutely delighted with the result and getting through to the final stage, where my dream of becoming a European Tour player is a lot closer than it ever has been.

’My great current form has come just at the right time, and I am looking to build on those seven top-10 finishes in my last seven starts. If I can keep that run going, I’ll be a European Tour player for 2020!’