STEVE Surry hopes a ‘near-miss’ at his home course could provide the springboard for his return to Europe’s Challenge Tour.

Local favourite Surry was pipped to glory at the EuroPro Tour’s GRENKE Championship at Cumberwell Park, near Bradford on Avon, as a back-nine birdie flurry from Yorkshire golfer Marcus Armitage handed him a one-shot lead last Friday.

Armitage pocketed the £10,000 first prize as Surry’s birdie putt on his final hole, that would have taken matters to a play-off, came up agonisingly short. But the £6,000 Surry earned for runners-up spot rocketed him up the Tour’s Order of Merit.

With the top five on the list guaranteed a card to the Challenge Tour next season, the 33-year-old will focus his efforts on the EuroPro Tour in the coming months in a bid to return to European golf’s second tier, for which he last earned season-long playing rights in 2009.

“It was a bit of a shame not to get the win, especially as it was on my home course and there was a lot of support there for me,’’ said Surry, who also holds a card for South Africa’s Sunshine Tour.

“I didn’t putt very well for the final two (of three) days, even though I played quite nicely. It was a good tournament and I would have taken second place at the start of it.

“I’m going to play a lot more EuroPro events after that result. If I could get into that top five and perhaps sneak a couple of wins it would be great to get back to the Challenge Tour.’’ Armitage started the final round two behind 36-hole leader Surry, but five birdies in an unblemished round of 66 saw him finish the tournament 10 under par and claim his second career HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour title.

More than 30 golfers were within three strokes of the lead at one point but when Armitage broke par at 11 and 12 and Surry matched him at 11 the pair were separated from the field at the top of the leaderboard with Armitage one ahead.

Both found one further birdie apiece but Surry wasn’t able to catch 2013’s EuroPro Rookie of the Year, his birdie putt to force a play-off finishing just short. He signed for a two-under 69 to finish second on nine-under.

“I feel great,” said the winner on collecting his second EuroPro Tour trophy, adding to the one won at Concra Wood two years ago.

“It has been a great week. I holed some good putts and got some lucky breaks. I feel amazing. I kept playing my golf and didn’t look at a leaderboard until after the 15th and I knew I had a real chance then. I didn’t miss any par putts, I was bogey free and that’s the key."

Craig Hinton (LJD Technology Services) finished third on six-under after carding a four-under final-round 67. Paul Newman (East Berkshire Golf Club), Cumberwell’s Laurie Canter and Neil Chaudhuri (www.specialisteyes.co.uk) shared fourth on five under par.