Young Kent golfer Claire Aitken is celebrating after securing her place on the 2009 European Ladies Tour.

Competing in Final Stage Qualifying School at La Manga, Spain, the 22-year-old from Longfield, a member at Gravesend's Mid-Kent Golf Club, went into Thursday's final round in joint 25th place and in a good position to book her first year on Tour.

The top 30 of the final 50 players who made the cut after three rounds get their full 2009 Tour card and Aitken kept her nerve to card a final round one-over-par 74 to finish in joint 26th.

But it was a disappointing day for Danielle Masters on Wednesday as she lost her fight to retain her card.

Masters, who is from Maidstone and attached to Chart Hills, near Ashford, had to compete in Final Qualifying after finishing 109th in the 2008 European Order of Merit.

Injury forced her to miss a large part of the season and she only returned for the final event in Dubai, where a recurrence of her back injury forced her to retire.

Rounds of 75, 78 and 78 saw her finish joint 78th in the 95-strong field after Wednesday's third round.