McKibbin 31st in Sun City as Irish endure mixed days at DP World Tour and Alps Q-Schools
Max Homa of the United States plays his second shot on the 10th hole during Day Two of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player CC on November 10, 2023 in Sun City, South Africa. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Tom McKibbin birdied two of his last five holes but goes into the weekend eight strokes off the pace in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City.
The Galgorm rookie (20) bounced back from bogeys at the seventh and 11th with birdies at the 14th and 15th to card a level par 72 and share 31st on two-under at Gary Player Country Club.
US Ryder Cup star Max Homa posted his second bogey-free round — a four-under 68 — to top the leaderboard alongside in-form Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who shot a six-under 66.
They lead by a shot on 10-under from England's Dan Bradbury, who shot 69, and by two from Danish duo Thorbjørn Olesen and Nicolai Højgaard.
At the Asian Tour's Hong Kong, 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell fired a five-under 65 to move to within four shots of Thailand's Phachara Khongwatmai at halfway.
He was tied for 11th in his bid for his first win since the 2020 Saudi International, while Cork's Brian O'Donovan made the two-under-par cut on the mark thanks to a 67.
However, it was a mixed day for the Irish on the opening day of the DP World Tour Qualifying School Final Stage in Spain, where the top 25 and ties after six rounds will earn tour cards.
Derry's Ruaidhri McGee (32) made four birdies in a three-under 69 on the Hills Course at Infinitum in Tarragona to share 15th place.
He's four strokes behind Denmark's Jeppe Kristian Andersen, who made nine birdies in a seven-under 64 in the Lakes Course to take a one-shot lead over Finland's Tapio Pulkkanen.
Ballymena's Dermot McElroy (30) made six birdies in a roller-coaster, level par 71 at the Lakes to share 73rd with Naas' Conor O'Rourke (32), who shot a level par 72 on the Hills.
The top 70 and ties after 72 holes will play two further rounds, but the other three Irish contenders have work to do over the next three days to make the cut.
Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell (39) was 131st after a three-over 74 at the Lakes, while Portmarnock's Conor Purcell (26) and Mount Juliet's Mark Power (23) were 140th after four-over 76s at the Hills layout.
Purcell was undone by a closing quadruple bogey eight at the ninth, while Power dropped four shots in five holes at the start of his back nine.
In Italy, four Irish players came through the First Stage of the Alps Tour Qualifying School.
AJ McCabe shot a three-under 69 to finish tied 10th at Terre dei Consoli (one of three qualifying venues) where 30 players qualified for next week’s Final Stage at Golf Nazionale and Olgiata Golf Club in northern Rome from November 15-17.
Simon Bryan shot a second-round 74 but qualified in tied 14th on level par, while Portmarnock’s Brandon St John bounced back from a 78 with a bogey-free 68 to make it in tied 25th on two-over alongside Mount Juliet’s Luke Donnelly, who shot a second successive 73.
Amateurs Jack Rowe (75-78) and Jake Foley (86-73) were joint 50th and 62nd respectively, while Andrew Browne (92-WD) withdrew and Karl Goodwin (81-DQ) was disqualified.
Stage One scoring
McCabe, Bryan, St John and Donnelly now head for the Final Stage where Robert Moran, Alex Maguire. Michael Young, Marc Boucher and Joseph Hanney are among those who entered.
