There will be two Bermudians on the Canadian Golf Tour next year after youngster Eric West earned his tour card despite atrocious conditions in Ontario.

West, 22, shot a 13-over 301 over the four days at the Royal Ashburn GC, firing 77, 73, 71 and then an 80 to finish tied for 20th and earn non-exempt status for next year?s tour.

West, one of Bermuda?s leading amateurs before turning pro, will join Michael Sims on the second-tier professional tour, the launching ground for a number of leading lights in the game, including Stuart Appleby, Chris DiMarco and Mike Weir.

Lightning fast greens, low temperatures and heavy rain combined to make Qualifying School tougher than usual, with West grinding his way through despite putting off the green twice in his final round while other players were left to three and four-putt during a round that took more than six hours.

But his hard work has paid off and he will take his place in the field next March for what should be a longer 17-tournament season, taking in events across California and Mexico before heading back to the States and moving into Canada in the summer.

?I?m very pleased, it was a very tough course and everyone was struggling,? said West, who has put his plans to try and qualify for the European Tour in Italy on the backburner following his Q-School success.

?I?ve played in worse conditions but it was hard in the rain and the greens were so fast it was ridiculous.

?The pins were in tough positions and there were some putts from the middle of the green where you would just touch the ball and it would take off and run off the green completely.

?There weren?t that many great scores because of the course, so it was just a case of hanging in there.?

West, who is unable to return for next month?s Bermuda Open for ?personal reasons?, will play the Monterrey Open later next month as well as a number of fund-raisers and charity events around his Orlando, Florida home before beginning next season in earnest.

He will play Gateway Winter Tour events in January and February before joining up with the Canadian Tour in March where he intends to play a full season.

?The Canadian Tour is a really good tour,? he added.

?Even though the prize money wasn?t great last year, and there weren?t that many events due to administration problems, they were still getting the best fields because everyone wants to play on it.

?There are some great benefits to the tour and I am looking forward to being involved in it and hopefully my game will continue to progress and I will be able to give it a good shot.?

West, a few years younger than Sims, admits he doesn?t know his fellow Bermudian ?that well? but hopes to play with him at some stage during the 2007 Tour campaign.