New Zealand golfer Mark Brown has continued his middling start to the new European Tour season.
He was unable to get traction today as he ended the Qatar Masters at Doha in the United Arab Emirates with a two-over-par 74, leaving in a share of 59th place and 17 shots behind the new champion, Dane Thomas Bjorn.
Brown dipped into red figures in only one of his four rounds, a 69 on the second day holding out the promise of a reasonable pay day.
That had helped make up for a scrappy start as his first-round 75 was only one worse than that of Bjorn, who came good by reeling off remaining rounds of 65, 66 and 69 to pick up the winner's cheque worth euro303,114 ($NZ534,630).
Brown was paid what he was worth on this occasion, a modest euro5000 being deposited into his bank account as he lifted his earnings after five events to euro22,450.
Brown, who turns 36 on Wednesday, is into his fourth term on the European circuit after earning the upgrade in status in early 2008 when he won the second of his two career titles, the tri-sanctioned Johnnie Walker Classic in India.
That year very much remains Brown's benchmark as tournament income of 585,670 euro makes up the bulk of his European career earnings of 1.14 million euro.
