McGilli on the Cusp
Monday 30 September 2019 Matt McGillivray is two places away from 2020 Championship Tour qualification after his 5th in the EDP Billabong Pro Ericeira, with 12 events to go in the marathon qualifying series.
ONE EVENT WONDER: Ethan Ewing soared 52 places after his third place. Photo WSL / Cestari
There's still a lot that can happen, but McGillivray is looking like the real deal: he jumps 13 spots to #14 on the WSL QS, while countryman Adin Masencamp soared 34 places to 31st, also banking 5,200 points for his equal 5th. Two out of eight quarterfinalists in Portugal (Ericeira fired for this event) ain't half bad.
Next Saffa up, or down seven places sadly, is Beyrick de Vries as a bunch of people leapfrog him on the QS leaderboard, including massive gains by the winner, Brazilian Samuel Pupo (+35) as he banks 10,000 points, and runner-up Stewart Kennedy (+30), who banks 8,000.
Kennedy's Aussie compatriot, Jacob Willcox, soared a whopping 48 places after his third place (6,500 points) - while compatriot Ethan Ewing took the cake with a gain of 52 places. He was the biggest beneficiary from coming joint 5th with Masencamp, McGillivray and his other countryman Connor O'Leary (who strengthened his 2020 bid by moving from 13th to 8th). What a difference a day makes!
SLICE AND DICE: Adin Masencamp tries his best to cut the wave in half. Photo WSL / Cestari
De Vries was the next best South AFrican, banking 1,000 points for his equal 37th place, as did Dylan Lightfoot. Their tally slowed their slide down the rankings. De Vries ends #42 in the QS ranking. Lightfoot slips nine spots to #72.
Mikey February managed 190 points for a joint 105th place, and he slides eight places to No 88 in the QS rankings. Jordy Maree made huge inroads with his recent win in Nias, but slips seven slots to 74, again because guys are leapfrogging places after the Portuguese event. And that makes up the Saffas.
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