37 Irish heading to Q-School
Walker Cup player Niall Kearney is one of 37 Irishmen who have entered the first stage of the European Tour Qualifying School later this month.
The 21-year old Royal Dublin amateur will tee it up in a 115-man field at Fleesensee Golf and Country Club near Berlin from September 22-25 alongside Justin Brink and fellow South of Ireland champions Mark Campbell and Mervyn Owens.
Kearney is one of six Irish amateurs amongst the 749 hopefuls who will begin their bids of European Tour cards at stage one. The others are Ulstermen Byron Campbell and Ruairi McGee, Newlands’ Irish international Cian Curley, Royal Dublin’s Neil O Briain and Portmarnock’s James Fox.
Portstewart’s Paul Cutler, who was disappointed not to make the Walker Cup side this year, has not entered.
Fourteen of the 37-strong Irish army have been allocated places at The Oxfordshire, 45 minutes from Heathrow, including US based Chris Devlin, Waterville’s David Higgins and John Kelly, the Irish Club Professional champion.
The number of players qualifying to proceed to the Second Stage, which will be played at four venues in Spain from November 20-23, will not be less than 18 per course.
The Final Stage will be played over 108 holes at PGA Golf de Catalunya near Girona in Spain from November 28 to December 3.
A field of 156 players will play two rounds over both the Tour and Stadium Courses. After 72 holes, the field will be cut to the leading 70 players and ties who will play two further rounds. At the conclusion of 108 holes, the leading 30 players and ties will be eligible for membership in Category 11(b) of the European Tour (and Category 4(a) of the Challenge Tour) for the 2010 season.
Players making the cut and finishing beyond 30th place will be eligible for membership in Category 14 of the European Tour and of the Challenge Tour (Category 7) for the 2010 season. Players failing to make the cut will be eligible for membership of the Challenge Tour (Category 12) for the 2010 season.
Players paid an entry fee of £1,350 (approximately €1,546) to enter the school.
Irish entrants (alphabetical)
Eddie BARR Irl Section B Golf de Moliets
Greg BOWDEN Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
Justin BRINK Irl Section B Fleesensee G & C Club
Byron CAMPBELL (AM) N.Ire Section A Ribagolfe
Mark CAMPBELL Irl Section B Fleesensee G & C Club
Michael COLLINS Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
Cian CURLEY (AM) Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
Chris DEVLIN N.Ire Section B The Oxfordshire
Noel FOX Irl Section A Ribagolfe
James FOX (AM) Irl Section A Dundonald Links
Shane FRANKLIN Irl Section B Golf de Moliets
Stephen GRANT Irl Section A Ribagolfe
Ger HALL Irl Section A Dundonald Links
David HIGGINS Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
Niall KEARNEY (AM) Irl Section B Fleesensee G & C Club
Justin KEHOE Irl Section A Dundonald Links
John KELLY Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
Richard KILPATRICK N.Ire Section B The Oxfordshire
Michael LAVELLE Irl Section A Dundonald Links
Brendan McCARROLL Irl Section B Golf de Moliets
Paul MCDONALD Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
Brian MCELHINNEY Irl Section A Dundonald Links
Ruaidhri MCGEE (AM) Irl Section B Circolo Golf Bogogno
Cian MCNAMARA Irl Section B Golf de Moliets
Darren MCWILLIAMS N.Ire Section B The Oxfordshire
Damian MOONEY N.Ire Section B The Oxfordshire
Alan MURRAY Irl Section A Lübker Golf Resort
Mervyn OWENS Irl Section B Fleesensee G & C Club
Neil O'BRIAIN (AM) Irl Section A Dundonald Links
Paul O'HANLON Irl Section B Golf de Moliets
Peter O'KEEFFE Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
David RAWLUK Irl Section B Circolo Golf Bogogno
Tim RICE Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
Glen ROBINSON Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
Adam SAVAGE Irl Section A Ribagolfe
Mark STAUNTON Irl Section B The Oxfordshire
Barrie TRAINOR Irl Section A Dundonald Links
By venue allocations
Dundonald Links (Field: 90) Section A 15th – 18th Sept 2009
James FOX (AM) Irl
Ger HALL Irl
Michael LAVELLE Irl
Justin KEHOE Irl
Brian MCELHINNEY Irl
Neil O'BRIAIN (AM) Irl
Barrie TRAINOR Irl
Chart Hills (Field: 90) Section A 15th – 18th Sept 2009
Ribagolfe (Field: 51) Section A 15th – 18th Sept 2009
Lübker Golf Resort (Field: 43) Section A 15th – 18th Sept 2009
Golf de Moliets (Field: 120) Section B 22nd – 25th Sept 2009
Eddie BARR Irl
Shane FRANKLIN Irl
Cian MCNAMARA Irl
Brendan McCARROLL Irl
Paul O'HANLON Irl
The Oxfordshire (Field: 120) Section B 22nd – 25th Sept 2009
Greg BOWDEN Irl
Michael COLLINS Irl
Cian CURLEY (AM) Irl
Chris DEVLIN N.Ire
David HIGGINS Irl
John KELLY Irl
Richard KILPATRICK
Paul MCDONALD Irl
Darren MCWILLIAMS N.Ire
Damian MOONEY N.Ire
Peter O'KEEFFE Irl
Tim RICE Irl
Glen ROBINSON Irl
Mark STAUNTON Irl
Fleesensee G & C Club (Field: 115) Section B 22nd – 25th Sept 2009
Justin BRINK Irl
Mark CAMPBELL Irl
Niall KEARNEY (AM) Irl
Mervyn OWENS Irl
Circolo Golf Bogogno (Field: 120) Section B 22nd – 25th Sept 2009
Ruaidhri MCGEE (AM) Irl
David RAWLUK Irl