No joy for Kearney at Asian Tour Q-School
HUA-HIN-THAILAND- Yikuen Chang of Korea in action during the final round of the Asian Tour final stage qualifying school on Saturday, January 16, 2016, at the Springfield Royal Country Club, Hua Hin, Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Royal Dublin's Niall Kearney closed with a one under 70 but still missed out on his Asian Tour card by five shots in Thailand.
The former Walker Cup player and reigning Irish PGA champion went into the final day needing a round in the mid 60s to have a chance of finishing in the crucial top 40 and ties.
But while he made an eagle at the 12th and a birdie at the 13th, bogeys at the sixth and 16th meant he posted a 70 that moved him up just 18 spot to tied 78th on two over par.
The top 40 and ties were three under or better at Springfield Royal Country Club in Hua Hin, where Korea's Yikeun Chan closed with a four under 67 to win the top card by a stroke from American Dodge Kemmer (65) on 13 under par.