Mullarney hangs tough at Q-School

Ronan Mullarney (Galway). Picture by Pat Cashman

Galway amateur Ronan Mullarney is well placed with two holes to play in his fog-delayed third round at the First Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School in Portugal.

The reigning AIG Irish Amateur Close champion was two-under for the day with two holes to complete when play was suspended at Bom Sucesso.

At level par, he was just inside the top 20 and ties who will progress to the Second Stage after Saturday’s final round with Brendan McCarroll five shots outside the mark on five-over after a 72.

At Golf d’Hardelot in France, amateur Eoin Leonard struggled with a back injury and joined Mount Juliet’s Stephen Grant in missing the five-over par, 54-hole cut.

Leonard has been battling a recurring back injury which flared up this week and he shot rounds of 74, 72 and 73 to finish on six-over par.

Grant had only a slim chance of battling his way back into contention after following an opening 80 with a 68.

But the former professional footballer (42) carded a three-over 74 to finish four shots outside the cut mark on nine-over.