Tramore's Robin Dawson showed his ability to remain patient in his bid for a precious tour card by opening with a two-under 70 at the Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School in Spain.

Now the touring professional for Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, the 24-year-old Waterford rookie made three birdies and dropped just one stroke on the Hills Course at Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona to end the day just one stroke outside the top 25 and ties who will win European Tour playing rights after six rounds.

Scores

"All is well so far," said Dawson, who is keen to remain focussed on his game for the next five days and grab a golden opportunity to earn playing privileges on the European Tour.

He opened with a bogey four at the 10th but reeled off nine pars in a row before making three birdies in his next six holes, picking up shots at the par-five second and seventh holes and the par-three third.

At two-under-par, he's just four strokes behind 29-year old American John Catlin, who shot a bogey-free, six-under 66 on the Lakes Course to lead by one stroke from Jean Baptiste Gonnet of France, last year's joint winner Alejandro Cañizares of Spain, Denmark's Benjamin Poke, Finland's Sami Valimaki, England's Toby Tree and Italian Lorenzo Scalise.

Catlin secured his fourth Asian Tour victory in Thailand last week and while he didn’t keep his European Tour card despite making 13 cuts from 21 starts this year, he's keen to get back.

"It's only one of six rounds, and it's definitely a nice way to start, but there's still a long way to go," Catlin said. "I remember liking this track at last year's event, and the Hills was the course I definitely struggled on, so to come out and take full advantage of that was a good way to start.

“Winning my fourth title on the Asian Tour and to win in Thailand where I’ve been living for the past three years was a great feeling. I know if I can take care of what I can take care of then I’ve got every chance of contending and I’ve given myself the best chance possible.

“It’s been absolutely fantastic to compete in Europe. It’s made me a better golfer for sure. You can see the difference coming from the Asian Tour to the European Tour which is the next step up and the margin of error is just that much smaller.”

It was a solid if unspectacular day for the five Irishmen in action as Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell and Royal Dublin's Niall Kearney shot one-under 71s on The Hills and Portrane's Gavin Moynihan a one-under 70 on The Lakes to share 50th place, just two shots outside the top 25.

Kearney was two-over-par after bogeys at the eighth and ninth before he birdied the 11th, 12th and 13th and followed a bogey at the 17th with a birdie three at the last at the Hills.

"I found the Hills Course tough today," Kearney said. "There were lots of three and four iron approach shots, so I am very pleased with the comeback after the bogeys to finish the front nine."

Caldwell turned in level par and picked up a shot at the par-five 16th en route to his 71.

"I'm pleased with the start," Caldwell said. "I played nicely in some tough conditions on the front nine and then played some very steady golf from tee to green coming home."

Moynihan also felt the cold, but after following birdies at the second, 10th and 11th at the Lakes with a double-bogey six at the 12th, he sandwiched bogeys at the 15th and 17th between birdies at the 13th and 18th.

"There was some wind, but it was still very cold," Moynihan said. "But the greens were pure on the Lakes Course today, and I played nicely.

"I plugged up the lip of bunkers on both the 15th and 17th, which was unfortunate, but I made up for those with an unreal up and down on 18 from way right of the green for birdie which always makes dinner taste that bit better."

As for five-time European Tour winner Michael Hoey, the Ballymoney man birdied the third and 11th to be two-under at the Lakes with four holes to play.

But while he bogeyed the 15th and the par-five 18th for his level par 71 that left him tied for 80th, he was not unduly worried and expected scoring to improve radically over the weekend as the 156-strong field jostles to make the top 70 and ties after 72 holes before playing two more rounds on the Lakes Course.

"It wasn't playing difficult, but it was cold early on," Hoey said. "I played quite solid, and the greens are soft so it's good for scoring and that should get a lot better over the next few days."

Last year’s joint Q-School winner Zander Lombard fired a seven-under 65 to lead the $7.5 million Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City.

The South African (24) heads the 63-man field by two strokes at halfway from overnight leader Louis Oosthuizen and by four from Belgian Thomas Detry on nine under par at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.

“Playing with two legends of the game, it was nervy, but I settled down quickly with a birdie on the second and it was just all really good vibes from there," said Lombard, who was playing alongside defending champion Lee Westwood and South African legend Ernie Els.

European Ryder Cup captain Pádraig Harrington is tied for 25th on one-under after an adventurous, level par 72 that featured two eagle threes and a triple-bogey eight.

The Dubliner (48) made a three at the par-five second, ran up an eight at the treacherous, par-five ninth but then made another eagle three at the 10th to get back to two-under for the tournament.

After dropping a shot at the 12th, he birdied the 13th and 14th to move within a shot of the top 10 but finished disappointingly with back to back bogeys alongside Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesberger, who lies joint ninth on four-under after a 69.

At the PGA Tour’s weather-delayed Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico, 2016 winner Graeme McDowell made six birdies in a five-under 66 that left him four shots behind New Zealander Danny Lee, who opened with a nine-under 62 at El Camaleon Golf Club.

Lee was one stroke clear of Americans Brendon Todd and Adam Long.