Phelan hangs tough at Q-School

Kevin Phelan, pictured on the 18th in the first round of the US Open by Eoin Clarke www.golffile.ieKevin Phelan has little room for manoeuvre entering the final round of the European Tour School’s First Qualifying Stage Section C test at Ribagolfe in Portugal.

With only the top 24 and ties progress to the Second Stage in Spain, the Waterford Castle professional had three birdies and seven bogeys in a four over 76 in tough conditions. Scorecards

Only one player broke 70 during the third round but while Phelan is tied for 17th place on three over, he is just one shot inside the four over par cut off.

Mourne amateur Reeve Whitson crashed to a 79 and needs a sensational final round after slipping to tied 61st on 10 over.

The 54-hole cut fell at 11 over with Knock’s Nicky Grant eliminated on 23 over after rounds of 75, 79 and 85.

American Daniel Berger took over the front running after Belgium’s Thomas Pieters went from five ahead to three behind after a third round 80.

Fernando Figueroa of El Salvador made the biggest move on day three of the First Qualifying Stage Section C at Bogogno as an eight under par 64 put him right on the qualifying mark with a round to go.

While Alessio Bruschi of Italy, who has led from the start, was joined at the top by Swiss amateur Joel Girrbach at 14 under par, all eyes are on who will finish among the top 24 and ties to progress to the second stage.

And it was Figueroa who caught the eye as he rattled in nine birdies and dropped just one shot to climb from tied 70th to tied 24th with a round 14 shots better than the previous day.

More than 200 players have been competing at Bogogno GC in Italy and Ribagolfe in Portugal with the top 24 and ties from both venues qualifying.

Ribagolfe Scores after round  3:

209 D Berger (USA) 67 70 72,

212 T Pieters  (Bel) 65 67 80,

213 R Hjelm (Den) 70 74 69, G Piris Mateu (Esp) 71 68 74,

215 S Dartnall (Aus) 73 69 73, M Trainer (USA) 70 72 73,

216 J Gallegos (am) (Esp) 71 70 75,

217 S McNamara (USA) 73 71 73, A Garcia-Heredia (Esp) 72 71 74, E Cole (USA) 71 73 73, J Krantz (Can) 68 76 73, G O’Mahony (USA) 72 74 71,

218 G Canizares (Esp) 71 76 71, C Ortiz (Mex) 70 74 74, X Guzman (Esp) 69 74 75, P Williamson (USA) 74 73 71,

219 N Cochran (USA) 72 74 73, V Blazquez (Esp) 68 74 77, C Rodiles (Esp) 75 70 74, Kevin Phelan (Irl) 70 73 76,

220 N Bjorling (Swe) 71 77 72, D Palm (Swe) 69 71 80, W Strickler (USA) 72 74 74, J Rangel (USA) 76 73 71, F Adarraga (Esp) 73 72 75, J Griffin (USA) 72 73 75,

<Top 24 and ties, above, after 72 holes qualify for Second Stage>

221 A McLardy (RSA) 71 72 78, R De Sousa (Sui) 71 75 75, B Etchart  (Esp) 77 72 72, A Hortal  (Esp) 72 74 75, J Sarasti (am) (Esp) 74 71 76,

222 B Virto (Esp) 71 73 78, M Quiros (Esp) 75 74 73, S Hansen (Nor) 76 73 73, D Osorio (Esp) 75 75 72, D Booth (Eng) 77 72 73, M Cobo (Esp) 74 77 71, G Tonelli  (Ita) 76 69 77, T Ferrer (am) (Esp) 75 76 71,

223 J Kelly (USA) 75 71 77, D Borda (Esp) 75 74 74, W Murillo (Ven) 75 74 74, D Suazo  (Esp) 68 77 78, J Bragulat  (Esp) 74 74 75,

224 S Soderberg (Swe) 76 76 72, J Murphy (USA) 72 73 79, K Storgaard (Den) 73 75 76, N Dahlgren (Fin) 73 74 77, E Larrañaga (Esp) 68 74 82, P Kelly (Eng) 76 75 73, M Jedrzeyczyk (Pol) 75 78 71, B Tilley (USA) 74 77 73, X Poncelet  (Fra) 70 75 79, J Carlota (am) (Por) 73 75 76,

225 A Christie (Eng) 74 72 79, J Back (Kor) 76 76 73, R Becker (Bra) 76 74 75, B Lee (USA) 72 76 77, M Ureta  (Chi) 67 76 82, A Parr (Can) 79 76 70,

226 A Long (USA) 70 75 81, F De Haas (Ned) 73 76 77, A Gutierrez (Esp) 72 78 76, Reeve Whitson (am) (Nir) 70 77 79,

227 J Parron (Esp) 79 74 74, R Mattila (Fin) 73 74 80, S Seijo (Esp) 76 75 76, M Bey (Fra) 74 72 81, K Subregis (am) (Fra) 74 76 77,

228 T Curtis (Eng) 74 79 75, D Corsby (Eng) 77 74 77, G Elena (Esp) 77 75 76, M Rawitzer (am) (USA) 78 75 75, P Rolland (am) (Bel) 75 74 79, M Pavon (am) (Fra) 73 75 80,

229 X Puig (Esp) 74 79 76, T Grava  (Fra) 77 81 71, R Holland (Eng) 75 75 79, B Detweiler (USA) 76 77 76,

230 R Bastard (Eng) 78 71 81, T Simola (Fin) 73 79 78, C Loop (USA) 77 72 81,

231 A Theodore (USA) 74 75 82, P Karantzias (Gre) 78 76 77,

232 D Silva Jr (Por) 74 77 81, P Badawy (USA) 77 79 76,

233 G Parker (Eng) 77 75 81,

234 J De Lope (Esp) 76 78 80, J Osorio Valencia (Esp) 78 77 79,

235 K Turlan (am) (Fra) 76 78 81,

236 S Frost (USA) 80 80 76, E Gibbs (USA) 78 79 79,

237 T Ayala (USA) 81 75 81,

239 L Lespinasse (Fra) 76 80 83, Nicky Grant (Nir) 75 79 85,

245 J Martin (Esp) 81 80 84,

247 J Lee (Esp) 82 82 83,

** C Balmaseda  (Esp) 75 DQ  0, J Pitt (Eng) 77 RT  0, R Yoo (USA) 84 DQ  0, C Nielsen (Swe) DQ  0 0, R Lopez Perales (Esp) DQ  0 0,

Bogogno Scores after round  3:

202 A Bruschi  (Ita) 64 69 69, J Girrbach (am) (Sui) 65 69 68,

204 P Francis (USA) 70 66 68,

206 A Saddier (Fra) 70 69 67,

207 A Maestroni  (Ita) 70 69 68, D Geminiani (Ita) 71 68 68,

208 M Jensen (USA) 68 72 68, F Laporta (Ita) 73 68 67, M Richardson (Eng) 70 69 69,

209 G Main (USA) 70 68 71, M Rominger  (Sui) 75 64 70,

210 L Lee (Bra) 71 73 66, M Scodro (USA) 72 65 73, A Bolognesi (Ita) 68 69 73,

211 C Arendell (USA) 71 66 74,

212 J McLister (USA) 70 71 71, A Romano  (Ita) 69 71 72, A Grammatica  (Ita) 73 68 71, H Leon (Chi) 69 70 73, M Hoffman (Can) 69 72 71, A Ahokas (Fin) 69 69 74,

213 M Ruiz (Par) 72 72 69, H Leon (Chi) 69 69 75,

214 B Hopfinger (USA) 73 72 69, F Figueroa (Esa) 72 78 64, J Camargo (Esp) 71 72 71, C Berardo (Fra) 73 71 70, N Holman (Aus) 71 70 73, C Pfau (Aut) 71 70 73, S Anderson (USA) 71 73 70, E Di Nitto (am) (Ita) 73 73 68,

<Top 24 and ties, above, after 72 holes qualify for Second Stage>

215 N Bertasio (Ita) 75 67 73, M Martinson (USA) 73 71 71, H Satama (Fin) 73 73 69,

216 J Kunzenbacher (Ger) 75 72 69, H Hwang (Kor) 73 69 74, E Calisto (Ecu) 76 68 72, D Sandberg (Swe) 73 71 72, G Molteni (Ita) 72 70 74, T Gornik (am) (Slo) 74 69 73, F Maccario (am) (Ita) 76 72 68,

217 M Svahlin (Swe) 73 69 75, J Magnusson (Swe) 71 73 73, O Stark (Swe) 72 72 73,

218 F Svanberg  (Sui) 73 72 73, M Cea (am) (Ita) 73 71 74,

219 T Bosco-Cwiok (Pol) 75 71 73, L Scotto (Ita) 76 72 71, L Guanti (Ita) 72 74 73, P Simard (Esp) 71 76 72, E Dugas (USA) 73 71 75, E Amacher (am) (Sui) 75 73 71,

220 C Guaraldi (Ita) 74 75 71, A Campanile  (Ita) 74 72 74, S Thomas (Can) 72 73 75, O Suhr (Den) 79 70 71, N D’Incau  (Sui) 68 75 77, C De Stefani (am) (Ita) 76 74 70, F Testa (am) (Ita) 75 72 73,

221 L Nielsen (Den) 72 71 78, R Sebastian Tirado (Esp) 76 71 74,

222 J Verselin (Fra) 75 73 74, N Peyrichou (Fra) 72 74 76, P Peracino (Fra) 76 74 72, P Terreni (Ita) 73 78 71, G De Filippi (am) (Ita) 75 75 72,

223 K Watkins (USA) 82 70 71, F Colombo (Ita) 75 73 75, N Savic (Srb) 75 72 76,

224 L Motta (Ita) 72 77 75, K Roy (USA) 75 70 79, M Miloro (Ita) 76 75 73, C Blomstrand (Swe) 77 72 75, F Suits (USA) 77 73 74, K McLister (USA) 75 74 75, O Gilmartin  (Sui) 76 75 73,

226 P Ricci (Ita) 76 71 79,

227 O Bonning (Swe) 78 72 77, J Field Jnr (USA) 80 77 70, C Davies (Wal) 74 77 76,

228 J Burnier (Sui) 73 78 77,

229 M Nichols (Eng) 78 77 74, I Sanchez-Palencia  (Esp) 73 74 82, I Korvenmaa (Fin) 76 76 77,

230 A Perrino  (Ita) 78 78 74, M Dobias (am) (Sui) 82 75 73,

231 G Seegmuller  (Bel) 76 78 77,

233 S Pettersson (Den) 79 81 73, P Gal  (Cze) 76 77 80, C Dvorak (Aut) 78 76 79, D Albertini (am) (Sui) 80 74 79,

235 J Paton (USA) 87 76 72, Y Kafelnikov (Rus) 80 74 81,

236 R Wingardh (Swe) 77 80 79, J Nodér (Sui) 75 80 81, E Shriver (USA) 82 75 79,

238 N Desmoulins (Fra) 80 80 78, O Nystrom (Swe) 76 79 83,

244 K Bozzi (Ita) 75 81 88,

** G Cuquejo (Esp) 77 82 WD, P Mueller (am) (Ger) 76 78 DQ, F Celano (Ita) 80 76 WD, R Guerrero Lauria (Ven) 74 81 WD,

** K Bobanovic (Aus) RT  0 0.