Q-School: Three Irish inside qualifying mark at halfway
Ruaidhri McGee. Picture: Jimmy Penrose
Three of Irish golf's 11 hopefuls are inside the qualifying mark at halfway at the Second Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School in Spain.
A total of 85 qualifying spots are available for the Final Stage, which takes place at Lumine Golf Club near Tarragona from November 11-16.
Just 21 players advance from Campo de Golf El Saler, Las Colinas and Panoramica while 22 players from Desert Springs will join 71 exempt players in the 156-man Final Stage field next Saturday.
Derry's Ruaidhri McGee made a big move in the chase for one of 21 spots at Panoramica, where he fired to a five-under 67 to move up to tied 13th on eight-under.
West Waterford's Gary Hurley is tied 21st after a 70 there while David Carey's 73 leaves him 45th on three-under and three shots outside the top 21.
Ballymena's Dermot McElroy is tied 19th on the one-under mark at El Saler after a 73, where Brendan McCarroll improved to 45th after a 71.
Knock's Colin Fairweather is just a shot outside the top 22 at Las Colinas after a five-under 66 catapulted him 38 spots to tied 24th, just a shot outside the mark on three-under par.
Michael Hoey (one-under) and John Ross Galbraith (one-over) have work to do on Sunday to get back into the mix after respective rounds of 72 and 75.
All three Irish golfers are outside the top 22 at Desert Springs with Jonny Caldwell the best placed in a share of 26th, just one stroke shy on five-under after a 70.
Cormac Sharvin shot 73 to fall back to tied 49th, four shots outside the top 22 on two-under with Niall Kearney six shots outside the final place on level par after a second round 70.
European Tour - Second Qualifying Stage, November 3-6
Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort, Castellón - 21 progress (-6)
- T13 MCGEE, Ruaidhri -8 69 67 136
- T21 HURLEY, Gary -6 68 70 138
- T45 CAREY, David -3 68 73 141
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, Alicante - 21 progress (-4)
- T24 FAIRWEATHER, Colin -3 73 66 139
- T41 HOEY, Michael -1 69 72 141
- T55 GALBRAITH, JR +1 68 75 143
Campo de Golf El Saler, Valencia - 21 progress (-1)
- T19 MCELROY, Dermot -1 70 73 143
- T45 McCARROLL, Brendan +4 77 71 148
Desert Springs Golf Club, Almería - 22 progress (-6)
- T26 CALDWELL, Jonathan -5 68 71 139
- T49 SHARVIN, Cormac -2 69 73 142
- T61 KEARNEY, Niall Par 74 70 144