Andrew ParrFRANK GUNN
Players in golf's lower tiers take all sorts of routes to get to the top. Canadians Andrew Parr and Mitch Gillis have chartered their paths this fall through Europe.
So far, so good. The Canadian Tour regulars have cleared the first stage of the European Tour's qualifying tournament, or Q-school.
Parr of London, Ont., placed second at a qualifier in Ebreichsdorf, Austria, near Vienna on Friday while Gillis of Williams Lake, B.C., shared 11th spot at another qualifier in Barbaroux, France.
The top 15 in each event moved on to the Q-school's second stage, which will be held at four Spanish courses in late November.
Parr, 27, in his fourth year as a pro, was runner-up to Swede Niclas Johansson in Ebreichsdorf on the strength of two sizzling closing rounds - an eight-under 64 on Thursday and 69 on Friday. He earned 1,208 euros.
Gillis, 26, also closed strongly on Friday to move up to 11th. He shot 69, a 12-stroke improvement over his third round Thursday in which he not only carded an unfortunate 81 but hit himself in the face with his own ball on one shot.
Historically, few Canadians have been regulars on the European Tour or even attempted to get their cards. But it is the world's second-best tour and a steady supplier of world-level players to the PGA Tour.
For Parr, the cultural experience has been as enriching as the golf.
"It's fun being in a new environment, not knowing the language, or the cultural norms," Parr says on his website. "I love these experiences to travel and be outside comfort [levels]although Vienna is very friendly and safe."
Both players are expected to return to North America to compete closer to home leading up to the second stage in Spain.
The final event on the 2010 Canadian Tour - the Desert Dunes Classic - will be held in Palm Springs, Calif., in early November. Gillis is 20th on the circuit's money list, while Parr is 67th. Both will have playing privileges next year.