Grant opens second front
Stephen Grant cruised in the Second Qualifying Stage of the Web.com Q-School in Florida and immediately turned his thoughts to Europe.
The Birr native, 36, closed with a bogey free, three under 69 to finish comfortably inside the top 29 and ties at St. Johns Golf & Country Club in Florida, tied for 15th on nine under par.
Elsewhere, West Waterford’s Seamus Power concluded a disappointing week at Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst-Magnolia with a level par 72, finishing 19 shots outside the magic number in his First Stage qualifier on 14 over par.
Grant will return to the US for the Second Stage next month where he will join Waterford Castle’s Kevin Phelan, who earned an exemption from the First Stage when he made the cut in the US Open at Merion.
Both Grant and Phelan will be in action in Europe next week (Saturday, Nov 2 - Tuesday Nov 5) when they join Niall Kearney, Brendan McCarroll, Ruaidhri McGee, Damian Mooney, David Rawluk, Alan Dunbar, JD Guiney, Colm Moriarty, Gareth Shaw and amateur Dermot McIlroy at Europe’s Second Stage.
The 12 strong Irish contigent is spread over the four Second Stage venues with Grant, Niall Kearney, Brendan McCarroll, Ruaidhri McGee, Damian Mooney and David Rawluk all in action at Las Colinas in Alicante.
Alan Dunbar - who shot 78-83 missed the cut by 13 shots in the Challenge Tour’s National Bank of Oman Classic this week - will join Guiney and Phelan at El Saler in Valencia with McElroy at Lumine in Tarragona and Shaw at Valle Romano in Malaga.
The goal is to make it to the Final Stage at PGA Catalunya Resort From November 10-15 but it won’t be easu with fewer than 20 players progress from each of the four Second Stage venues to join the 80 exempt players.
European Tour, Second Qualifying Stage - Nov 2-5
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club
Stephen GRANT The Heritage, Ireland
Niall KEARNEY Royal Dublin/ Team Ireland
Brendan McCARROLL Team Ireland
Ruaidhri MCGEE Rosapenna
Damian MOONEY Ballyliffin GC
David RAWLUK The Island GC
Campo de Golf El Saler, Valencia, Spain
Alan DUNBAR Team Ireland
John-Daniel GUINEY Ballybunion GC
Colm MORIARTY Glasson Golf Hotel & CC
Kevin PHELAN
Lumine Golf & Beach Club, Tarragona, Spain
Dermot MCELROY (AM) Ballymena GC
Valle Romano Golf, Estepona, Málaga, Spain
Gareth SHAW Team Ireland