Irish set for final day battle at Q-School

Gavin Moynihan has a chance to win his tour card on Thursday

Gavin Moynihan and Ruaidhri McGee insist they will be in full attack mode for the final day after slipping back in round five of the 108-hole European Tour Qualifying School marathon in Spain.

While both shot one-under-par 70s on a perfect day for scoring at Lumine Golf Club's Lakes Course, the average score was 68.6 and they lost ground in their bids to finish in the top 25 and ties who will be awarded cards today.

Moynihan (23) is on the right side of the top-25 cut-off, tied for 17th on 11-under par but two strokes outside the top 10 who will earn stronger cards than the players finishing from 11th to 25th.

As for McGee, who birdied seven of his last eight holes on Monday to make the cut by two, the Derry man (26) needs to produce another birdie barrage today after his 70 left him six shots outside the top 25 in a share of 58th.

"I probably hit the ball the best I have all week, but it was just one of those days on the greens," said Moynihan, who parred his first 10 holes, then made three birdies and two bogeys in the next six before missing two birdie chances inside 10 feet on the last two greens. 

"Overall, I just struggled to read the greens today, big time. The two bogeys were from being too heavy-handed with the chips."

Focussing on the positives, Moynihan is thrilled to be in position to win his full European Tour card having begun what has turned out to be a tremendous season with no status on any tour.

"It's all a bonus for me this week anyway," he said. "All I wanted to do was get into position, and I've done that now and I can go for it tomorrow. 

"It could have been a bit better today but a few other days could have been worse as well. I didn't break 70 as I wanted to today, but I am not going to be too down about it."

McGee also got off to a slow start with nine straight pars and confessed that he might need a round in the mid to low 60s to have any chance.

"I hit loads of greens, but I just didn't hole anything," he said. "I didn't make a birdie on the first nine and missed six or seven putts from inside 15 feet. I need to hole them tomorrow now. 

"I played well today but nothing much dropped. It was a bad day for that to happen but there's always tomorrow.

"It was a shame because it was such a calm day that you really needed to shoot four or five under to make a bit of a move.

"But look, I will go for everything tomorrow and give it a lash."

England's Sam Horsfield broke 70 for the fifth day running, carding a four-under 67 to lead by three on 19-under par from Denmark's Jeff Winther, who shot a 64.

It was also a good day for European Tour winners Anders Hansen and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño — who has Alvaro Quiros caddying for him this week — as they shot 65s to move into the top 10.

European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, Lumine Golf Club (Lakes Course, Par 71; Hills Course, Par 72) Tarragona

338 S Horsfield (Eng) 69 68 66 68 67; 

341 J Winther (Den) 67 67 72 71 64; 

342 K Broberg (Swe) 70 71 67 68 66; M Baldwin (Eng) 71 69 68 68 66; C Syme (Sco) 72 73 63 67 67; C Ford (Eng) 73 69 66 64 70; 

343 A Hansen (Den) 71 71 69 67 65; L Canter (Eng) 71 64 67 75 66; C Blomstrand (Swe) 72 69 67 66 69; 

344 G Fernandez - Castaño (Esp) 72 70 69 68 65; P Widegren (Swe) 69 72 68 69 66; M Foster (Eng) 67 72 68 71 66; A Pavan (Ita) 65 68 71 73 67; 

345 P Angles (Esp) 73 70 69 68 65; J Kruyswijk (RSA) 71 71 70 66 67; J Thomson (Eng) 67 72 68 67 71; 

346 J Geary (Nzl) 72 71 72 67 64; R McGowan (Eng) 72 71 68 70 65; M Nixon (Eng) 70 71 70 69 66; R Macintyre (Sco) 67 71 71 71 66; H Sturehed (Swe) 67 71 71 70 67; K Johannessen (Nor) 71 69 67 72 67; N Geyger (Chi) 67 74 69 68 68; G Moynihan (Irl) 69 72 67 68 70; J Janewattananond (Tha) 74 71 65 65 71; 

347 A Michael (RSA) 73 71 66 74 63; S Gros (Fra) 70 69 74 67 67; F Aguilar (Chi) 73 70 68 69 67; T Murray (Eng) 70 63 75 70 69; M Schwab (Aut) 71 69 67 71 69; 

348 M Schneider (Ger) 68 74 71 68 67; J Walters (RSA) 75 71 66 69 67; O Lindell (Fin) 73 71 66 70 68; C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 69 69 72 70 68; T Lewis (Eng) 75 69 68 67 69; J Edfors (Swe) 70 72 70 67 69; N Kimsey (Eng) 68 73 70 68 69; D Law (Sco) 68 73 70 68 69; J Quesne (Fra) 69 72 69 69 69; A Knappe (Ger) 69 72 69 69 69; C Braeunig (Ger) 70 70 67 71 70; J Heath (Eng) 72 68 68 69 71; 

349 L Gagli (Ita) 71 73 66 72 67; J Munro (Aus) 69 71 69 71 69; Ó Serna (Mex) 68 72 67 73 69; S Heisele (Ger) 72 67 70 70 70; G Stal (Fra) 64 71 73 70 71; B Evans (Eng) 69 66 68 71 75; 

350 M Armitage (Eng) 71 71 74 68 66; S Vincent (Zim) 72 72 69 70 67; P Howard (Eng) 73 66 74 69 68; C Lloyd (Eng) 68 71 71 72 68; S Manley (Wal) 69 68 70 73 70; M Millar (Aus) 74 67 69 68 72; 

351 P Mejow (Ger) 69 70 74 70 68; H Leon (Chi) 73 72 69 68 69; M Iten (Sui) 74 70 67 71 69; 

352 S Henry (Sco) 78 69 68 69 68; J Hansen (Den) 72 73 70 69 68; R McGee (Irl) 72 73 70 67 70; 

353 S Khan (Eng) 72 71 73 68 69; E Johansen (Nor) 68 73 72 70 70; E Park (Kor) 72 72 66 73 70; K Samooja (Fin) 73 69 69 70 72; 

354 S Webster (Eng) 69 74 73 68 70; S Sharma (Ind) 75 73 68 67 71; P Maddy (Eng) 77 68 70 67 72; M Lafeber (Ned) 68 73 73 68 72; A Arnaus (Esp) 70 70 71 70 73; 

355 A Hall (Aus) 73 69 70 71 72; J Huldahl (Den) 67 75 69 72 72; S Tiley (Eng) 72 70 68 73 72; 

356 K Koivu (am) (Fin) 70 70 72 72 72; 

361 A Cañizares (Esp) 73 73 70 68 77.