Maybin cards crucial 65 as Hahn shoots 58 at Q-School
Gareth Maybin. Picture Eoin Clarke, www.golffile.ie
Gareth Maybin made 10 birdies to make the cut at the Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School but the plaudits went to American John Hahn who jumped 92 spots to 12th thanks to an incredible 12 under par 58 that won't count as a tour record.
Preferred lies were in operation at PGA Catalunya Resort as Ohio native Hahn made 12 birdies on the Tour Course to join another 77 players in battling for a tour card over the last two rounds of the 108-hole test.
The European Tour is still waiting for its first, official sub-60 score but Hahn will be pleased if he can remain where he is and secure his playing rights for 2015.
Starting on the back nine at the 6,610-yard, par-70 Tour Course, the 25-year old birdied his first five holes and then picked up further biridies at the 17th and 18th to turn in seven under 28.
Two more birdies at the first and second, left him needing two more to break 60 but he went one better with birdies at the fifth, seventh and ninth giving him a homeward 30 for 58.
“It probably hasn’t hit me yet,” Hahn said of his first sub-60 round. “But when I’m sat in bed tonight it probably will. It’s a great thing. I respect the history of golf, and to shoot a number in the 50s doesn’t happen very often so to be able to do it - I’m proud of myself. It’s a cool thing.
“I just kept my foot on the pedal all day, and I think I had two stretches of five and four birdies apiece, which were good, but with all things considered it was perfect conditions, and we were playing ball in hand (preferred lies).
“So it definitely was more scoreable today, but it was a great day. I hit it well all the way around, I putted great, and I’m happy with the result.
“I think there are always points in your career where you say ‘put that one in the memory banks’. I did that when I needed to and you can always draw on those experiences in the future. Maybe when you’re struggling or when you are in a similar position you can think back and say ‘Hmm, I can do this!’”
The cut for the Top 70 and ties fell at one under par, which meant that Maybin made it with a shot to spare thanks to three closing birdies for a five under 65 on the Tour Course.
The Ballyclare man leapt 38 places up the leaderboard to tied 54th after making 10 birdies. But he looked likely to head home when he followed a birdie at the third with a triple bogey seven at the fourth.
Six birdies in seven-hole stretch from the sixth put him back in the frame for the last two rounds on the Stadium Course but after a double bogey six at the 15th, Maybin birdied the 16th and 17th to get back inside the cut mark.
He then birdied the 18th for a super 65 and joins Kevin Phelan, Peter Lawrie and Simon Thornton in the last two rounds.
Derry's Michael McGeady missed the cut by five shots following a disappointing, two over 72 on the Tour Course. And it was also a tough day for Phelan, Lawrie and Thornton.
Phelan shot a level par 72 on the Stadium Course and is now tied for 26th on six under, a shot outside the Top 25 and ties who will win cards after six rounds.
Lawrie had an eagle, three birdies, four bogeys and a triple bogey seven at the water-protected 13th on the Stadium Course, carding a two over 74 that saw him fall 19 spots to tied 37th on five under.
He's two shots outside the qualifying spots with two more rounds to go on the Stadium Course while Thornton bogeyed his last two holes for a 76 on the Stadium and is now three shots outside the Top 25 on four under.
At the top of the leaderboard, Matt Ford shot a four under 68 on the Stadium to lead by a shot on 13 under from India's world No 74 Anirban Lahiri (73) and 17-year old, two-time Junior Ryder Cup player Renato Paratore of Italy, who shot a three under 69.
Playing in his first professional event, Rome native Paratore is looking to become the youngest player to gain his European Tour card at Q-School since Magnus Persson did it aged 17 years and 116 days back in 1982.
He would also become just the third 17-year old to ever have achieved the feat after Persson and Alan Evans, who did it in 1977.
