Clandeboye’s Jonny Caldwell gave himself a great chance to put himself in position to win a Challenge Tour card when he opened with an eight-under 64 to lead the PGA Europro Tour’s Newmachar Golf Club Challenge in Aberdeen.

Leaderboard

The former Walker Cup star lies 11th in the Race to Desert Springs standings as he bids to win the penultimate event and £10,000.

The top five money winners are guaranteed promotion to Europe’s second tier tour and Caldwell leads by one stroke from John Parry after carding five birdies on the front nine and a further four on the back.

The season will end with the Tour Championship at Desert Springs from October 30 to November 1 with the top 60 on the money list qualifying for the final event in Spain.

Caldwell (11th). Niall Kearney (30th), John Ross Galbraith (31st), Tim Rice (47th) are the only Irish players poised to qualify.

Newmachar Golf Club Challenge, Newmachar GC, Aberdeen (Par 72)

Detailed scores

64 Jonathan Caldwell (Clandeyboye Golf Club)

69 Tim Rice (Limerick Golf Club)

70 Dermot McElroy (Ballymena Golf Club)

71 John-Ross Galbraith (Whitehead Golf Club)

74 Luke Donnelly (PGA Catalunya)

75 Owen Crooks (Unattached)

76 Stephen Grant (Mount Juliet Golf Club, Stuart Grehan (Unattached)

83 John Hickey (Cork)