Grant opens second front

October 25, 2013 Brian Keogh

Stephen Grant is through to the Second Stage of the US Q-School. Now his thoughts turn to Europe.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.

Stephen Grant and his caddie, Cedric, at St. Johns Golf & Country Club today. Pic via twitter.com/soccer2golfElsewhere, 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.