Q-School: Joy for McGee, pain for Hurley and Carey
Ruaidhri McGee in action at Mount Wolseley recently. Picture: Jimmy Penrose
Ruaidhri McGee will bid for his European Tour card in the Final Stage of the Qualifying School but there was no luck for Gary Hurley or David Carey in the weather-delayed Second Stage qualifier in Castellón.
With 22 places eventually up for grabs at Panorámica Golf, Sport & Resort, McGee closed with a one-under-par 71 to tie for sixth on 12-under-par to qualify for the final stage at Lumine from November 11-16, where the top 25 and ties after six rounds will win European Tour privileges
The 26-year-old Derry native finished four shots behind former Challenge Tour graduates Andrea Pavan and Jeff Winther as 22 players (one more than initially indicated) joined the 64 others who progressed from the three other sections on Monday, including Cormac Sharvin and Dermot McElroy.
Play at Panorámica was delayed by a day due to high winds on Sunday but with 22 players finishing on seven-under or better, Hurley's two-under 70 left him just one shot outside the qualifying mark on six-under.
Extremely disappointing week,
— David Carey (@davidcareygolf7) November 7, 2017
Unfortunately the long game went on holidays all week long...
Hard work to be put in when I get home 💪🏼
David Carey. Picture: Jimmy Penrose
Carey needed a final round 65 to make it but with his long game faltering, he shot 77 and finished well down the field on five-over.
McGee, Sharvin and McElroy will be joined at Lumine for the Final Stage by Mount Juliet's Gavin Moynihan, who finished 19th in the Challenge Tour rankings and already knows he will get at least 10 European Tour starts next term.
A win or a top 10 for Moynihan in Tarragona would significantly boost the number of starts he gets on the main tour next season.
European Tour - Second Qualifying Stage, November 3-6
Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort, Castellón (22 qualified on -7/281 or better)
- T6 MCGEE, Ruaidhri -12 69 67 69 71 276 QUALIFIED
- T23 HURLEY, Gary -6 68 70 74 70 282 DID NOT QUALIFY
- T59 CAREY, David +5 68 73 75 77 293 DID NOT QUALIFY
Desert Springs Golf Club, Almería (22 of 23 qualified on -8/280 after playoff)
- T7 SHARVIN, Cormac -11 69 73 71 64 277 QUALIFIED
- T24 CALDWELL, Jonathan -7 68 71 74 68 281 DID NOT QUALIFY
- WD KEARNEY, Niall +9 74 70 81 WD 225 DID NOT QUALIFY
Campo de Golf El Saler, Valencia (21 of 22 qualified on +1/289)
T13 McELROY, Dermot Par 70 73 71 74 288 QUALIFIED
T36 McCARROLL, Brendan +6 77 71 68 78 294 DID NOT QUALIFY
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, Alicante - (21 of 29 qualified on -3/281 )
- T30 FAIRWEATHER, Colin -2 73 66 70 73 282 DID NOT QUALIFY
- T46 HOEY, Michael +3 69 72 73 73 287 DID NOT QUALIFY
- 60 GALBRAITH, JR +11 68 75 77 75 295 DID NOT QUALIFY
