Q-School: Irish start well at Second Stage
Dermot McElroy
Eight of Ireland's 11-strong contingent broke par in the first round of European Tour Q-School Second Stage in Spain.
With around 18 to progress from each of the four venues to next week's Final Stage in Tarragona, Ballymena's Dermot McElroy is the best placed in a share of eighth after a two-under 70 at El Saler in Valencia.
Steven Tiley shot 66 to lead there but Narin and Portnoo's Brendan McCarroll has considerable work to do now after opening with a five-over-par 77.
Castleknock's David Carey and West Waterford's Gary Hurley are tied for 15th after 68s at Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort in Castellón, just three shots off the lead with Ruaidhri McGee just a shot further back.
At Desert Springs Golf Club in Almería, Royal Dublin's Niall Kearney is 72nd after a 74 but Jonny Caldwell (who already has a Challenge Tour card wrapped up via the Europro Tour rankings) is tied 11th after making six birdies in a 68 with Cormac Sharvin a shot further back in a share of 25th.
Whitehead's John Ross Galbraith announced his decision to turn professional earlier this week and made a positive debut at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club in Alicante, where a 68 leaves him tied for 18th with Michael Hoey (69) tie 24th and Colin Fairweather (73) tied 62nd.
Four-time European Tour winner Ricardo Gonzalez’s attempt to regain his card through Qualifying School got off to a strong start as he shot a five under par 67 to sit one shot off Tiley’s lead at Golf El Saler
Former Qualifying School winner Carlos Del Moral and his Spanish compatriot, two-time Challenge Tour winner Borja Virto, were in contention at Panoramica Golf and Spa Resort, where Finland’s Mikael Salminen and Frenchman Franck Daux shared the lead on seven under after opening salvos of 67.
The lowest score of the day of all four sections came from Las Colinas Golf and Country Club, where South African Jacques Kruyswijk fired a ten under 61 to lead by one over Swede Niclas Johansson.
At Desert Springs Golf Club, Amaury Rosaye of France also led the way on ten under par, albeit courtesy of a 62 on the par-72 course, to finish the day two shots clear of Englishman Matthew Baldwin and Austria’s Lukas Nemecz.
European Tour - Second Qualifying Stage, November 3-6
Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort, Castellón
- T15 CAREY, David 68
- T15 HURLEY, Gary 68
- T20 MCGEE, Ruaidhri 69
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, Alicante
- T18 GALBRAITH, JR 68
- T24 HOEY, Michael 69
- T62 FAIRWEATHER, Colin 73
Desert Springs Golf Club, Almería
- T11 CALDWELL, Jonathan 68
- T25 SHARVIN, Cormac 69
- 72 KEARNEY, Niall 74.