Moynihan and Caldwell head Irish challenge at Q-School
Gavin Moynihan
Gavin Moynihan and Jonny Caldwell made strides with sub-par rounds on day two at the Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School in Spain.
Portrane native Moynihan carded a three-under 69 on The Hills Course at Lumine in Tarragona to share 22nd place on four-under par in the race to finish inside the top 25 and ties after six rounds.
It might have been an even better day for Moynihan, who covered his opening nine in five under 31 and picked up another shot on the first hole to go six-under before three bogeys in five holes took some of the gloss off an otherwise excellent m day.
He’s five shots behind leaders Benjamin Poke and Toby Tree, who shot four-under par rounds of 67 at the Lakes to head the field on nine-under.
Toby Tree. Picture: Getty Images
They lead by one stroke from four-time European Tour winner S.S.P Chawrasia and Finland’s Sami Valimaki with four rounds remaining.
It was a mixed day for the other four Irishmen in action but Clandeboye’s Caldwell staged a great comeback at the Lakes, where he bogeyed the 10th and double-bogeyed the 12th before birdies at the 16th, 17th, 18th, third and fifth turned his day around and he signed for a two-under 69 that left him tied 40th on three-under.
Portmarnock Links’ Robin Dawson made two bogeys and two birdie fours in a level par 71 at the Lakes to share 53rd in two-under, one shot inside the top 70 and ties who will make the 72-hole cut on Monday.
Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney is 79th on level par after making three bogeys and two birdies in 72 on the Lakes course.
But it was a disappointing day for Michael Hoey, who is tied 149th on seven-over with Matteo Manassero and Steve Webster after a seven-over 79 on the Hills.
As for the leaders, Tree has endured a tough year after recovering from a broken bone in his leg to initially make a positive start to his season on the European Challenge Tour.
He then suffered another injury in the summer that forced him to miss a further six weeks. However, he is now looking refreshed with just two bogeys in the opening 36 holes of his quest for a European Tour card.
Poke, meanwhile, has just completed his first Challenge Tour season and finished in 29th position on the Road to Mallorca, admitting any additional category he attains this week is a bonus.
With two rounds to go before the four-round cut falls and the top 70 and ties advance, the vast majority of players are still within touching distance of the final two rounds.
Dutchman Wil Besseling, Italy’s Lorenzo Scalise and Germany’s Nicolai von Dellingshausen share tied fifth on seven under par, while six players are a shot further back in a tie for eighth, including last year’s joint-champion Alejandro Cañizares and fellow 2018 Qualifying School graduates Niklas Lemke and Louis de Jager.
Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who clinched the winning point in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, withdrew citing a wrist injury
Player quotes:
Toby Tree: “I’m really pleased. I played solidly on both days and gave myself plenty of chances. I made a couple of bogeys today but bounced right back, so that’s good for me, bouncing back.
“I thought the pins were a bit tricky, especially today. The breeze was up, it was cold and I thought it was playing quite long. The par threes were tough and I actually thought the Lakes Course was playing quite tricky today. The Hills Course yesterday, I thought there was a score out there and I played quite well. I didn’t really hole that many putts for five under, but I thought four under round there today was a really good knock.
“I’m not really thinking about how long is left. I’m going through the process. There are four rounds to go and I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Benjamin Poke: “I struggled a bit more today, especially off the tee. I got off to a good start and hit some great iron shots and also managed to hole a few putts as well. I had bit of a bump in the middle of the back nine. I broke my eight iron on 13 – I came up against a tree and had to give it a bit of a hack and I made par there, so it was worth it.
“When you’re not hitting it as well, you can play for the wider parts around this golf course and still get it around. I hit my irons good, my wedges good and managed to hole a few putts here and there to keep it together.”
S.S.P Chawrasia: “I played well today. I shot five under par today on the Lakes Course and I’m pretty happy. The Lakes Course is a little wider and the Hills Course is tighter because it is more tree-lined and it is also very hilly.
“I’m just focussing on playing exactly the same as I have done the last two days. If you play well, then your experience is clearly working. At the minute I’m playing well so it’s obviously meaning something.”
Sami Valimaki: “It has been a really good start. I grabbed some of the birdies today with only one bogey, so it was a good round.
“Both courses have tough and easy holes but it’s very much the same. They look a little bit different, but they are very similar.
“It’s my first time here so I guess I just have to start again and play four rounds in competition after this. I don’t think you can prepare for this week. You just have to go out and shoot as low as you can.”
Alejandro Cañizares: ‘’I found it a little tougher out there today. I didn’t play as good as I did yesterday and there’s just a bad drive on the last that cost me a shot on the final hole and a couple of mistakes, but the rest has just been really steady.
“It’s nice to see that you are up there but there is still a long way to go in the tournament, so I’ve just got to keep it calm, keep it steady and just keep on doing the same things. Last year I came into Qualifying School off the back an injury and played really well at Second Stage to get through. This season the build-up to Final Stage has been different but I know from last year that you just need to stay calm and play your golf and just accept your bad shots because it’s a long, long week.’’
European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, Lumine Golf Club (Lakes Par 71, Hills Par 72, Tarragona, Spain
134 B Poke (Den) 67 67; T Tree (Eng) 67 67;
135 S Chawrasia (Ind) 69 66; S Valimaki (Fin) 67 68;
136 L Scalise (Ita) 67 69; W Besseling (Ned) 69 67; N Von Dellingshausen (Ger) 68 68;
137 N Lemke (Swe) 67 70; C Pigem (Esp) 71 66; D Papadatos (Aus) 68 69; L De Jager (RSA) 69 68; A Cañizares (Esp) 66 71;
138 H Long (Ger) 67 71; J Gonnet (Fra) 66 72; A Zemmer (Ita) 68 70; G Havret (Fra) 68 70; M Schneider (Ger) 69 69; B Windred (Aus) 71 67; D Young (Sco) 69 69; P Figueiredo (Por) 68 70; J Catlin (USA) 65 73;
139 N Højgaard (Den) 69 70; D Whitnell (Eng) 69 70; D Dixon (Eng) 71 68; B Henson (USA) 72 67; M Kim (Kor) 68 71; G Higgo (RSA) 72 67; L Canter (Eng) 68 71; Gavin Moynihan (Irl) 70 69; J McLeod (Aus) 70 69; R Van West (Ned) 70 69; J Lima (Por) 71 68; J Fahrbring (Swe) 70 69; B Virto (Esp) 69 70; J Sandborg (Swe) 69 70; P Oriol (Esp) 67 72; A Cockerill (Can) 73 66; R Sciot-Siegrist (Fra) 68 71; G Kristjansson (Isl) 72 67;
140 T Gandy (Imn) 70 70; Jonny Caldwell (Nir) 71 69; T Lee (Kor) 73 67; E Walker (Sco) 67 73; J Choi (Kor) 68 72; L Van Meijel (Ned) 69 71; A Saddier (Fra) 68 72; M Armitage (Eng) 68 72; N Schietekat (RSA) 69 71; J Ritchie (RSA) 71 69; D Coupland (Eng) 69 71; R Petersson (Swe) 70 70; B Petursson (am) (Isl) 74 66;
141 T Oneal (USA) 70 71; S Matus (Cze) 70 71; B Evans (Eng) 71 70; G Porteous (Eng) 70 71; R Højgaard (Den) 73 68; D Gavins (Eng) 74 67; K Reitan (Nor) 70 71; Robin Dawson (Irl) 70 71; B Dredge (Wal) 70 71; L Johnston (Sco) 72 69; J Wrisdale (Eng) 69 72; E Johansen (Nor) 71 70;
142 W Nienaber (RSA) 69 73; R McGowan (Eng) 71 71; B Ferguson (Aus) 72 70; B Rumford (Aus) 70 72; B Hutchinson (Eng) 69 73; J Quesne (Fra) 68 74; G Bourdy (Fra) 72 70; J Geary (Nzl) 74 68; S Tiley (Eng) 73 69; P Eriksson (Swe) 68 74; D Van Tonder (RSA) 69 73; M Eggenberger (Swi) 72 70; R Karlberg (Swe) 72 70; C Howie (Sco) 72 70;
143 A Karlsson (Swe) 71 72; U Coussaud (Fra) 71 72; Z Murray (Aus) 70 73; E Ferguson (Sco) 71 72; S Gregory (Eng) 68 75; M Baldwin (Eng) 74 69; J Glennemo (Swe) 74 69; D Perrier (Fra) 71 72; D Kemmer (USA) 70 73; M Schmitt (Ger) 74 69; B Hellgren (Swe) 73 70; A Hidalgo (Esp) 72 71; L Slattery (Eng) 71 72; S Kim (USA) 73 70; B Easton (RSA) 73 70; Å Nilsson (Swe) 70 73; F Lacroix (Fra) 71 72; O Lengden (Swe) 72 71; D Fichardt (RSA) 71 72; M Warren (Sco) 71 72; N Flanagan (Aus) 74 69; Niall Kearney (Irl) 71 72; H Leon (Chi) 71 72; J Zunic (Aus) 70 73; C Sordet (Fra) 72 71; D Lawson (Aus) 71 72; J Kahlos (Fin) 74 69; N Kristensen (Den) 72 71;
144 M Rottluff (Ger) 71 73; J Kruyswijk (RSA) 69 75; G Stal (Fra) 71 73; T Rosenmüller (Ger) 74 70; S Gros (Fra) 72 72; C Cannon (Eng) 71 73; T Fisher Jnr (RSA) 75 69; T Linard (Fra) 73 71; E Cuartero Blanco (Esp) 74 70; B Stow (Eng) 72 72; R Enoch (Wal) 75 69; M Siem (Ger) 73 71; M Fenasse (Fra) 71 73;
145 C Hanna (USA) 72 73; S Saavedra (Arg) 71 74; J Donaldson (Wal) 73 72; M Simonsen (Den) 74 71; J Kaske (Fin) 72 73; M Muthiya (Zam) 73 72; A Bjornsson (Isl) 72 73;
146 J Roos (RSA) 72 74; S Hawkes (Aus) 70 76; J Jones (Can) 76 70; G King (Eng) 74 72; J Sjöholm (Swe) 76 70; M Lindberg (Swe) 71 75; J Arnoy (Nor) 72 74; C Blomstrand (Swe) 75 71; B Ritthammer (Ger) 68 78;
147 R Wattel (Fra) 72 75; J Thomson (Eng) 73 74; L Ruuska (Fin) 72 75; J Felton (Aus) 70 77; F Mruzek (Cze) 75 72; M Gilchrest (USA) 73 74; E De La Riva (Esp) 71 76; D Quinones (USA) 76 71;
148 J Veerman (USA) 74 74; B Briscoe (Wal) 76 72; G Mulroy (RSA) 74 74; G Fdez-Castaño (Esp) 71 77;
149 W Enefer (Eng) 73 76; D Micheluzzi (Aus) 74 75;
150 S Webster (Eng) 74 76; M Manassero (Ita) 78 72; Michael Hoey (Nir) 71 79;
151 L Hirst (Eng) 75 76;
153 N Mauchaza (USA) 74 79; F Gustavsson (Swe) 81 72;
154 M Decottignies-Lafon (Fra) 75 79.
