Great start for Irish at Q-School

David Higgins, Eddie Barr and Mervyn Owens were the best of the bunch as eight of Ireland’s 25-strong contingent broke par on the in the first round of The European Tour First Qualifying Stage – Section B.

David HigginsWaterville man Higgins, 36, fired a four under par 68 to share second place at the Oxfordshire, a stroke behind Scot Gavin Dear, with St Margaret’s John Kelly and Mallow's Michael Collins tied for ninth after two under par 70s.

Australia based Barr hit a four under par 68 at Golf de Moliets in France where former European Tour player, Olivier David is leading after an opening 64.

Barr is joint 14th while Limerick’s Cian McNamara and Newbridge man Paul O’Hanlon made positive starts with one under 71s leaving them tied 30th.

Former South of Ireland champion Owens, who plays regularly on the EPD mini tour in Germany, lit it up at Fleesensee G&C near Berlin with a five under 67 as Walker Cup star Niall Kearney opened with an excellent 71.

Owens great round was still only good enough for a share of second place behind the impressive Norwegian Marius Thorp, winner of the Silver Medal as the leading amateur in the 2006 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, who fired an eight under par 64 to top the leaderboard by three shots.

Just a week after all 12 Irish entrants failed to make it through Section A, it was a hugely positive opening day for the green army as they bid to finish in the top 25 percent at each of the four qualifying venues.

Limerick’s Tim Rice and Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe signed for level par 72s at the Oxfordshire with Chris Devlin, Damien Mooney, Greg Bowden and Mark Staunton posting 73 and the amateur, Cian Curley, a respectable 74.

The top players from each venue will make their way to Second Stage in November.

Around 310 players will battle at Stage Two for approximately 75 places in the 156-man field at the Final Stage, where the top 30 players (plus ties) after six rounds will win a coveted place on The 2010 European Tour International Schedule.

The Oxfordshire, Thame, England 

Scores after round  1: (Par 72)

67 G Dear (Sco), 

68 P Jones (Eng), G Clark (Eng), David Higgins (Irl), J Moore  (USA), 

69 R Blaum (USA), J Powell (Eng), O Bekker (RSA), 

70 L Westerberg (Swe), Michael Collins (Irl), B Taylor (Eng), J Freeman  (Eng), John Kelly (Irl), G Lornie   (Sco), B Taylor (Eng), N McCarthy  (Eng), C Paisley (am) (Eng), 

71 G Woolgar (Eng), A Frayne  (Eng), J Harris (Eng), S Howarth (Eng), J Mason  (Eng), A Carson (am) (Eng), 

72 P Doherty (Sco), P James (Eng), Tim Rice  (Irl), M Armitage (Eng), J Heath  (Eng), M Hooper  (Eng), Peter O'Keeffe  (Irl), J Hepworth (Eng), J Cunliffe (RSA), R Baca (USA), M Haines (am) (Eng), 

73 S Tooth (Eng), A Crux (Eng), J Gidney (Eng), P Richardson (Eng), Chris Devlin (Nir), Damien Mooney (Nir), Greg Bowden  (Irl), A Johnston (Eng), Mark Staunton (Irl), M Cryer (Eng), R Thomas (Wal), B Britton (am) (Eng), S Hodgson (am) (Eng), 

74 S Whiffin (Eng), S Cowle (Eng), W Booth  (Sco), M Curtis (Zim), G Peters (Eng), K Crossland (Eng), S Parry  (Eng), R Wragg (Eng), C Elliot (Eng), L Saltman (Sco), A Holmes (am) (Eng), A Wootton (am) (Eng), J Senior (am) (Eng), D Blair (am) (RSA), Cian Curley (am) (Irl), 

75 D Whitnell  (Eng), Richard Kilpatrick (Nir), Z Saltman (Sco), S Palmer (Eng), G Fox (Sco), N Harris (Eng), D Stein (Aus), C Wakely (Wal), P Reed (Eng), J Conteh  (Eng), S Uzzell (am) (Eng), 

76 M Ramsdale (Eng), J Levermore (Eng), S Grewal  (Eng), M Rummings (Eng), J Howarth (Eng), B Van Der Merwe (RSA), C Matheson (Sco), S Lilly (Eng), S Elliot (Eng), J Dransfield  (Eng), K McNicoll (Sco), J Haglund (am) (Fin), N Mateuszczyk (am) (Aus), 

77 A Hamilton (USA), N Treacher (Eng), C Roake (Eng), W Roebuck (am) (Eng), 

78 Darren McWilliams (Nir), G Bryan (Eng), J Feather (Eng), N Cassini  (USA), E Morton (Eng), 

79 B O'Dell (Eng), M Evans (Eng), J Bloomfield (Jam), Paul McDonald  (Irl), A Howard (am) (Sco), L Collins (am) (Eng), S Fallon (am) (Eng), 

80 E Thomson (Sco), Glen Robinson (Irl), A Hancox (Eng), M McGeehan (Eng), A Beckett (Eng), 

81 J Du Buisson (RSA), 

82 B Paterson (am) (Eng), 

83 R Challoner (Eng), H Singh Rai (Ind), 

85 A Vergari (Ita), D Scott (Aus), 

103 R Shian (Eng), 

 ** J Pye (Eng), T Burns (Eng), F Suits Iii (USA), E Barry-Walsh (am) (Eng), 

Golf de Moliets, France

Scores after round  1 (Par 72):

64 O David  (Fra), 

65 R Quiros  (Esp), 

66 T Reid (Eng), B Etchart  (Esp), M Galdos (Esp), J Legarrea (Esp), T Leon (USA), 

67 G Gresse  (Bel), B Lecuona  (Fra), P Bocian  (Swe), L Portela (Esp), P Oriol (Esp), T Fournier  (Fra),

68 G Watremez (Bel), E De La Riva  (Esp), C Garcia (Esp), J Estevez  (Arg), P Menjibar (Esp), Eddie Barr (Irl), J Lorca (Esp), J Ocejo (Esp), 

69 C Aguilar  (Esp), D Alonso (Esp), A Belt (Eng), C Balmaseda  (Esp), P Hendriksen  (Eng), 

70 J Chang (Esp), K Le Sager  (Fra), V Blazquez (Esp), 

71 Paul O'Hanlon  (Irl), S Mason (Eng), J Daudignon (Fra), J Rosillo (Esp), A Johnsson (Swe), I Del Castillo (Esp), M Mills (Eng), D Quiros (Esp), M Saiz (Esp), J Guillet  (Fra), J Jankowski (Eng), M Bosse (Ger), J Van Hauwe  (Fra), M Jonsson (Swe), Cian McNamara (Irl), N Singer (am) (Fra), D Antonelli (am) (Fra), 

72 G Canizares (Esp), E Dubois (Fra), C Perez Barberan (Esp), N Walker  (Eng), M Cantero (Esp), B Mannix (Eng), M Raven (am) (Eng), 

73 X Guzman (Esp), J Schiele (Fra), J Mommo  (Fin), M Sell  (Eng), M Dearden (Wal), D Noh (Esp), F Hammarberg (Swe), S Arnold  (Aus), T Stewart  (Aus), X Valere (Fra), 

74 M Duque (Esp), F Hasson (Bra), S Seijo (Esp), A Claesson (Swe), V Thorstensen (Nor), C Bell (Eng), D Moreno  (Esp), F Keenan  (Eng), N Soto (Eng), B Welch (Eng), E Dominguez (Arg), J Raveloarison (Mad), J Mancebo (Esp), A Cuenca (am) (Esp), B Fowles (am) (Eng), 

75 A Matallana (Esp), F Vallet (Fra), M Figueroa (Arg), C Scott (Eng), J Palmer (Eng), R Thuillier (Fra), J Belliard (Fra), S Gutierrez (Esp), G Vicente Elena (Esp), A Hedlund (Swe), C Trahan (am) (Sco), B Hemstock (am) (Eng), 

76 R Schilperoord (Ned), N Murtagh (Eng), S Haywood (Eng), J Lee (Esp), S Rodriguez (Esp), J Bragulat  (Esp), J Eerdmans (Ned), Brendan McCarroll  (Irl), D Perrier (Fra), P Ellerstrom (Swe), P Herreria (Esp), 

77 S Casado (Mex), F Lagarto (Esp), I Irazusta (Esp), O Serres (am) (Fra), 

78 J Buenestado (Esp), Shane Franklin (Irl), J Dannesboe (Den), 

79 M Mauret (Fra), A Paolillo (Ita),  

88 S Kumar (USA), 

 ** R Sullivan  (USA), 

Circolo Golf Bogogno, Italy

Scores after round  1 (Par 72):

66 J Kim (am) (Ita), 

67 E Penin (Fra), 

68 F Svanberg  (Sui), T Weiss (Sui), 

69 T Lambert (Aus), M Rominger  (Sui), S Saavedra  (Arg), H Bacher (Aut), N Bollini  (USA), F Pasqualucci (Ita), 

70 S Piaget  (Mon), M Persson (Swe), C Ford (Eng), P Terreni (Ita), F Ojeda Racioppi (Arg), A Maestroni  (Ita),  A Zanini  (Ita), G Rosier  (Fra), J Camargo (Esp), N Bertasio (am) (Ita), 

71 D Suazo  (Esp), P Nilbrink (Nor), M Soffietti (Ita), J Parron (Esp), J Garcia Pinto (Esp), N Sulzer  (Sui), J Foret (Fra), 

72 A Bruschi  (Ita), D Ulrich (Sui), R Swane  (Ned), P Bech (Esp), C Schwierz  (Ger), W Rieder  (Aut), A Fabietti (Bra), S Wiedergruen (Ger), J Maurer  (Aut), C Prader  (Aut), J Fahrbring (Swe), J Dusson (Fra), X Puig (am) (Esp), T Sluiter (am) (Ned), 

73 T Laitto (Fin), P Relecom  (Bel), M Delpodio  (Ita), P Lepitschnik (Aut), S Russi (Chi), J San Sebastian (Esp), M Perez  Gelma (Esp), I Sanchez-Palencia  (Esp), N Ravano (am) (Ita), K Samooja (am) (Fin), 

74 A Chopard  (Sui), C Pfau (Aut), A Campanile  (Ita), L Alexandre (Fra), D Larrazabal (Ven), K Sullivan (Wal), S Reale (Ita), B Akesson  (Swe), G Andersson (Swe), A Andersson  (Swe), G Slabe (Slo), Ruaidhri McGee (am) (Irl), N Lombardi (am) (Ita), A Christie (am) (Eng), 

75 A Napoleoni (Ita), M Novy  (Cze), F Figueroa (Esa), A Huber (USA), M Choi (Aus), A Savolainen  (Fin), A Bihan (Fra), S Brizzolari  (Ita), J Adarraga Gomez  (Esp), A Basciu  (Ita), C Blaesi  (Sui), J Zednicek (Cze), E Ravn (Den), M Thorstensen (USA), 

76 J Arnette (USA), J Theunis (Bel), A Giuliani (USA), J Forestier (Fra), C Trunzer (Ger), A Signor  (Ita), A Kristiansen (am) (Nor), 

77 F Casellini (Sui), G Grillo (Ita), F Li Puma  (Sui), C Baunsoe (Den), L Astl (Aut), David Rawluk (Irl), D Coughlan (Eng), 

78 M Guerisoli  (Ita), G Tonelli  (Ita), H Lipsanen (Fin), R Furrer (Sui), A Jauretche (Arg), M Crespi  (Ita), H Pfaller (Aut), 

79 A Zani (Ita), E Lattanzi (Ita), A Iurilli (Ita), K Hallin (Den), 

80 R Treis  (Ger), J Hedin (Swe), 

81 A Rota (Ita), R Paolillo  (Ita), 

83 B James (USA), 

84 L Vargo (USA), J Schmid (Sui), 

85 J Clugnac (Fra), 

89 J Thureson (Swe), 

95 A Serrudo (Arg), 

Fleesensee Golf and Country Club, Germany

Scores after round  1 (Par 72)

64 M Thorp  (Nor), 

67 T Schuster  (Ger), T Edlund (Swe), Mervyn Owens  (Irl), R Golding (Eng), T Sundström (Fin), 

68 J Gill (Nzl), S Gross Jr (Ger), 

69 T Tuovinen  (Fin), P Skopovy (Cze), A Mellor (Eng), R Askstrand (Swe), J Hansen (am) (Den), J Roth (Den), 

70 F Bredin (Swe), D Wardrop  (Eng), L Corfield  (Eng), J Martikainen (Fin), B Mann (Ind), M Kramer  (Ger), A Szappanos (am) (Ger), 

71 T Cruz  (Por), L Richard (Bel), G Birch Jr (Ger), D Marmion (Eng), N Glans (Swe), K Jorgensen  (Den), J Lupprian (Ger), J Drongstrup (Den), P Ankersoe (Den), M Glauert (Ger), R Svensson (Swe), Niall Kearney (am) (Irl), 

72 R Sjöberg (Swe), A Fischer (Ger), B Guiney (Sco), R Steele  (Eng), M Palm (Swe), M Haremza (Ger), Z Scotland  (Eng), R Saxton (Ned), B Oliver (Aus), R Nielsen (Den), J Makitalo  (Fin), D Wuensche  (Ger), S Stefansson (Isl), H Satama (am) (Fin), M Johansson (am) (Swe), P Gabsa (am) (Ger), 

73 J Ruth  (Eng), A Rosado  (Por), S Forsstrom (Swe), B Parker  (Eng), D Froreich (Ger), R Schovanek (Cze), P Erofejeff (Fin), B Reiter (Aut), J Boerdonk (Ned), F Eibl (Ger), J Espelund (Den), 

74 F Ruprecht (Aut), A Persson (Swe), N Bruzelius  (Swe), R Harris  (Eng), Mark Campbell  (Irl), S Gundorph (Den), P Purhonen (Fin), R Hahn (Hun), J Sköld (Swe), A John (am) (Ger), 

75 A Abdullahi (Ngr), R Gruber (Aut), K Mortensen (Den), B La Roche (Esp), H Uhlenbeck (Ned), P Jacobsen (Den), S Chad (Den), B Miarka (Ger), J Kucera (Cze), J Hall (Eng), C Engel (Ger), S Alvang  (Den), R Eccles (Ned), 

76 M Tschinkel (Ger), R Gonzalez (Arg), M Ervasti (Fin), M Tottey (Wal), F Fihn (Swe), S Schaefer (Ger), J Peters (Ger), C Aronsen  (Nor), F Becker (Ger), D Klein (am) (Ger), P Baunsoe (am) (Den), 

77 J Friessnegg (Aut), P Niederdrenk  (Ger), R Sarközi (Hun), A Hofvander (Swe), 

78 M Larusson (Isl), T Sistonen  (Fin), A Chamberlain (Eng), R Zwahlen (FrFa), Justin Brink (Irl), 

79 J Fransson (Swe), J Hommel  (Den), L Lizanek (Cze), J Blanks (Eng), 

80 A Rosswag (Ger), 

81 R Throssell (Aus), 

82 C Kaya (Tur), 

83 M Aspernas (Swe), 

92 P Mina (Ita)