Irish Golf Desk

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Q-School: Campbell and Casey in position; McElroy and Dillon close

Colm Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint) en route to victory in the 2016 Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship at The Royal Dublin Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman

Warrenpoint amateur Colm Campbell Jnr and Headfort professional Brian Casey are in position to advance from the European Tour Qualifying School First Stage Qualifier at Collingtree Park. But there's also lots of hope for Ballymena's Dermot McElroy and PGA professional Joe Dillon.

Campbell eagled the ninth and birdied the last for an immaculate, three under 69 that moved him up 10 spots to tied 14th, just a shot inside the top 23 and tied who will progress to November's Second Stage in Spain but eight shots behind pacesetter Malcolm Kokocinski of Sweden.

Casey made six birdies in a two under 70 to rise four places to tied 20th on three under. But it was also a good day for rookie McElroy, who racked up five birdies in a three under 69 to soar 19 places to tied 27th.

The Ballymena man got off to a horrible start on Tuesday with a triple bogey - bogey start but he's six under for his last 34 holes and just a shot outside the qualifying places.

Headfort assistant Dillon, one of the up and coming PGA professional playing in the Irish Region, made three birdies and three bogeys in a 72 that saw him fall nine places to tied 33rd on one under, just two shots outside the top 23 and ties.

The top 22 and ties will progress at Ebreichsdorf in Austria where Niclas Johansson of Sweden (64-70) leads by one stroke on nine under par from a group of four with the qualifying mark already five under.