CUMBERWELL Park golfer Laurie Canter has emerged from the European Tour’s qualifying school with prized top-tier playing rights for the second year running - but has made it a top priority that he won’t be back there next year.

The 27 year old, who is based at the Bradford on Avon club, earned his 2016 playing rights via the same route last November and repeated the trick at the PGA Catalunya Resort near Girona after finishing inside the top 25 at the Q School finals last week.

Lying just outside the top 30 heading into the last of six rounds in Spain, Canter holed a 10-foot putt at his final hole to card a two-under-par round of 70 to finish tied for 19th spot and ensure he maintained his card for next season.

Despite being forced to go through the nerve-shredding experience of qualification again, having been unable to earn enough money to automatically retain his 2017 card, Canter believes he has the ability to compete at European golf’s top table, with this year’s experiences only adding fuel to the fire.

“Obviously it was tough,’’ he told the Wiltshire Times. “I haven’t gained a huge amount of money on the order of merit but it was a great year in terms of experience and in terms of preparing for the future.

“I’ve had moments where I’ve scratched the surface of doing okay and I think I do have a lot of the ingredients to play well on the main tour.

“It (coming through Q School) feels totally different. Last year was a surprise, this year it’s more relief.

“But I’ve got that mindset now where I have got to be in that (European Tour) environment. It’s brought me on as a player.

“I really don’t want to be here next year and that’s motivation enough.’’ After qualifying for his debut season on Tour last season, Canter made the cut in his first four events in what was a promising start.

But he was unable to register a top 20 finish in any of his 17 Tour events, his best finish coming at the Made In Denmark tournament in August where he came tied 34th.

His fighting qualities came to the fore back in qualifying school though, finishing runner up in his second-stage event before negotiating a path through last week’s finals again, while the likes of clubmate Steve Surry and Ben Stow, from East Knoyle near Warminster, were unable to make it through.

He added: “I don’t really know why. Maybe the (Q School) environment suits me? You think about how many players who are fantastic golfers who don’t get it done so I want to make 2017 the year I push on.

“I’m one of those guys who wants to be on the range last and working really hard and ticking all the boxes as a pro.

“I spend a lot of time at Cumberwell Park and CrossFit (gym) in Trowbridge.

“It’s how much you want it and I do feel like I really want it. That’s where I want to be.’’ Canter will kick off his 2017 European Tour programme at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which starts on December 1, part of what he hopes will be a busier schedule of more than 20 events next season “With the year’s experience I’ll have under my belt, I’m really looking forward to it,’’ he added.

“I’m dead chuffed to get back there (the European Tour) again and I’m looking forward to the challenge in 2017.’’