Irish face Q-School battle at The Roxburghe

Damian Mooney made a solid start at Q-School in Scotland. Picture: Eoin Clarke www.golffile.ieBallyliffin’s Damian Mooney and Cork’s Peter O’Keeffe were the only Irish players inside the qualifying places after the opening round of the European Tour Qualifying School First Stage qualifier at The Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course in Scotland.

Both shot level par 72s to share 12th place, four shots behind pacesetter Ada Wootton of England, at a venue where only the top 22 and ties in the 73-strong field will progress to the Second Stage in Spain next month.

The Island’s David Rawluk is just outside the qualifying spots after a 73 but the other five Irishmen in action face a tough road ahead.

Waterville’s Mark Murphy (76), Newlands’ Andrew Hogan (77) and Danny Sugrue and Mark Staunton, who both shot 78s, are well outside the qualifying spots.

As for former European Tour player Gary Murphy, the Kilkenny native needs a remarkable turnaround after posting a nine-over par 81.

There are no Irishmen in action at Golfclub Schloss Ebreichsdorf in Austria, where Germany’s Georg Schultes got his bid to win a dream ticket to the 2014 European Tour off to a superb start with a seven under par 65.

Five birdies and an eagle on a flawless card saw Schultes lead the 93 competitors after round one of the First Stage in Austria, where 22 players (and ties) will win a place at Second Stage after Friday’s fourth round.

Wootton grabbed a one stroke lead in Scotland after an opening 68 at the Qualifying School, which will see over 800 hopefuls compete over three Stages in a bid to win one of 25 places on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai next season

Qualifying School First Stage Section A - The Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course:

68 A Wootton  (Eng);

69 M Clemens (Mex); M Daley (Eng); A Cheese (Eng); P Ferrier (Sco); J White (am) (Sco);

71 J Housby (Eng); A Wrigley (Eng); J Moul  (Eng); Z Scotland  (Eng); Z Blair (am) (USA);

72 Damian Mooney (Nir); T Hunt (Wal); B Fowles (Eng); S Archibald (Eng); Peter O’Keeffe (Irl); P Eriksson (Swe); D Spalding (Eng); A Smith (Eng); S O’Hara  (Sco)

<Top 17 and ties, above, progress to Stage Two>

73 R Phillips (Eng); C Lutton (Sco); I Gregory (Eng); David Rawluk (Irl); G Wright  (Wal); J Bell (Eng); J Gallacher (Sco);

74 A Smith (Eng); S Ronold (Nor); J Westwood (Eng); S Crichton (am) (Sco);

75 J Henry (Sco); C Kresge (USA); S Reed (USA); J Chevallier (Fra); B Melton (USA); B Askew (USA); O Curry (am) (Eng); G Robertson (am) (Sco);

76 Mark Murphy (Irl); J Barnes (Eng); R O’Neill (Eng); B Gielow (USA); C Corbin (am) (Eng);

77 G Duncan (Sco); P McLean (Sco); J Byrne  (Sco); K Nicol (Sco); C Trahan (Sco); P Cormack  (Sco); J McGhee (Sco); S McAllister (Sco); B McDonough (USA); T Higson (Sco); Andrew Hogan (Irl); C Eberl (USA); B Herbert (Eng); C Cole (Wal); D Seymour (Eng);

78 O Franck (Swe); A Palmer (Eng); J Hendry (Sco); Daniel Sugrue (Irl); Mark Staunton (Irl);

79 M Downes (Eng); R Crowe (Eng);

80 I Griffiths (Wal); B St John (Sco); M Ramsdale (Eng);

81 C Sutherland (Sco); Gary Murphy (Irl);

85 T Innes Ker (Sco);

86 A McCabe (Eng);

Qualifying School First Stage Section A - Golfclub Schloss Ebreichsdorf

65 G Schultes (Ger);

67 H Lipsanen (Fin); R Cazaubon (Mex); L Astl (Aut);

68 A Pavlov (Rus); A Hansen  (Den); U Weinhandl (Aut); A Engell  (Nor); K Samooja (Fin);

69 M Veijalainen (Fin); F Gustavsson (Swe); A Zemmer (Ita); J Billing (Swe); M Decott-Lafon (am) (Fra);

70 J Kim (Ita); F Praegant (Aut); J Scrivener (Aus); M Schneider (Ger); S Jeppesen  (Swe); O Zetterwall (Swe); D Lokke (Den); M Novy  (Cze); R Goger (am) (Aut); M Wolf (am) (Ger);

<Top 22 and ties, above, progress to Stage Two>

71 J Shepherd  (Eng); C Dennis (USA); S Matus  (Cze); C Lange  (Den); M Hansen (Den); J Steiner (Aut); A Pazzeschi (Ita); M Prihoda (Cze); N Wimmer (am) (Aut);

72 J Maurer  (Aut); B Neumayer (Aut); G Kotnik (Aut); R Han (Chn); K Svanum  (Nor); J Lupprian (Ger); O Lieser (Cze); D Mogensen (Den); R Gruber (Aut); K Ichihara (Jpn);

73 L Nemecz (Aut); W Schauman  (Swe); M Azcue (Mex); A Leitmannstetter  (Ger); S Wiedergrün (Ger); S Pitoni (am) (Ita); A Altuntas (am) (Tur);

74 T Mou (USA); J Agren (Swe); F Pogatschnigg (Aut); K Eriksson (Swe); N Viuff (Den); M Schachner (USA); S Kannler (Ger); S Whiffin (Eng); H Amin  (Aut); J White (Eng); P Oswald (am) (Aut);

75 M Amtkjaer (Den); N Thommen (Sui); B Reiter (Aut); S Cronin (Eng); J Quiros (Esp); A Funk (Can); S Fernandez (Arg); F Lagarto (Esp); S Wittmann (am) (Aut);

76 P Nic (Cze); J Orozco (Esp); C Cannon (Eng); L Tupa (Cze); W Rieder  (Aut); M Cantero Balbas (Esp);

77 C Schwierz  (Ger); A Lange (Ger);

78 M Eliasson (Swe); K Varli (am) (Tur);

79 R Hahn (Hun); N Lombardi (Ita); H Yamac (Tur);

80 M Mayrhauser  (Aut); T Toivo (Fin); M Carroll (USA); D Clarkson (Eng);

82 N Engel (Den);

83 A Werner (Den); F Mruzek (Cze); D Suchan (am) (Cze);

85 F Kök (am) (Tur);

89 G Steel (Eng).

Irish entries for Q-School

1. Brian CASEY Headfort GC
2. Thomas CONRAN
3. Paul CUTLER Portstewart GC
4. Alan DUNBAR Team Ireland
5. Shane FRANKLIN
6. Nicholas GRANT Knock GC
7. Stephen GRANT The Heritage, Ireland (Stage 2)
8. John-Daniel GUINEY Ballybunion GC
9. Stephen HEALY (AM) Claremorris Golf Club
10. Andrew HOGAN (AM) Newlands GC
11. David P JONES Bushfoot GC
12. Niall KEARNEY Royal Dublin/ Team Ireland
13. Mike KELLY
14. Richard KILPATRICK Banbridge GC
15. Matt MCALPIN (AM) Royal Portrush
16. Brendan McCarroll, Ballyliffin (Stage 2)
17. Dermot MCELROY (AM) Ballymena GC
18. Ruaidhri MCGEE Rosapenna
19. Cian MCNAMARA Monkstown GC
20. Colm MORIARTY Glasson Golf Hotel & CC
21. Damian MOONEY Ballyliffin GC
22. Gary MURPHY
23. Mark MURPHY    Waterville GC
24. Peter O’KEEFFE Team Ireland
25. Kevin PHELAN (AM) Waterford Castle
26. David RAWLUK The Island GC
27. Tim RICE Limerick GC
28. Mark STAUNTON Ballinasloe GC
29. Daniel SUGRUE Kilarney GC
30. Niall TURNER Team Ireland
31. Simon WARD (AM) Belvoir Park
32. Reeve WHITSON (AM) Mourne GC

Sep 10 Sep 13

First Qualifying Stage Section A Ebreichsdorf

Golfclub Schloss Ebreichsdorf,Ebreichsdorf,Austria

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Sep 10 Sep 13

First Qualifying Stage Section A The Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course, Kelso,Scotland

Andrew HOGAN (AM) Newlands GC

Gary MURPHY

Mark MURPHY Waterville GC

Damian MOONEY Ballyliffin GC

Peter O’KEEFFE Team Ireland

David RAWLUK The Island GC

Daniel SUGRUE Kilarney GC

Mark STAUNTON Ballinasloe GC

Sep 17 Sep 20

First Qualifying Stage Section B Wychwood Park, Crewe,England

Paul CUTLER Portstewart GC

Alan DUNBAR Team Ireland

Stephen HEALY (AM) Claremorris Golf Club

David P JONES Bushfoot GC

Matt MCALPIN (AM) Royal Portrush

Dermot MCELROY (AM) Ballymena GC

Ruaidhri MCGEE Rosapenna

Colm MORIARTY Glasson Golf Hotel & CC

Sep 17 Sep 20

First Qualifying Stage Section B Fleesensee Golf & Country Club Fleesensee,Göhren-Lebbin,Germany

Niall KEARNEY Royal Dublin/ Team Ireland

Cian MCNAMARA Monkstown GC

Simon WARD (AM) Belvoir Park

Sep 24 Sep 27

First Qualifying Stage Section C Ribagolfe,Lisbon,Portugal

NICHOLAS GRANT Knock GC

Kevin PHELAN (AM) Waterford Castle

Reeve WHITSON (AM) Mourne GC

Sep 24 Sep 27

First Qualifying Stage Section C Bogogno, Italy

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Oct 01 Oct 04

First Qualifying Stage Section D Frilford Heath, Abingdon,England

Brian CASEY Headfort GC

Thomas CONRAN

Shane FRANKLIN

John-Daniel GUINEY Ballybunion GC

Mike KELLY

Oct 01- Oct 04 First Qualifying Stage Section D Golf d’Hardelot, Hardelot,France

Richard KILPATRICK Banbridge GC

Tim RICE Limerick GC

Niall TURNER Team Ireland