Purcell improves in Grand Final as Irish scramble for Q-School survival

Conor Purcell bounced back from his Friday reverse as Gary Hurley and Dermot McElroy saw their hopes of fast-track promotion evaporate in the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca.

After seeing his hopes of topping the rankings disappear with a second round 75, Portmarnock star Purcell made six birdies in a four-under 68 on moving day to share 22nd on six under as he prepares to graduate to the DP World Tour officially.

While he’s projected to fall from fourth to sixth in the rankings race for 20 DP World Tour cards, he’ll move into the big leagues in 2025 after a two-win season.

He’s a whopping 16 strokes behind Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who fired a bogey-free, ten under 62 to lead by a shot from Spain’s Angel Ayora at Club de Golf Alcanada.

It looks like Q-School now for Hurley and McElroy who needed huge weeks to make the top 20 points winners who get cards.

Hurley, who is ranked 43rd, shot a three-over 75 to slip to 35th on two-under as 37th-ranked McElroy shot a third successive 72 to share 42nd on level par.

However, Hurley and McElroy will have another chance to gain promotion at next week’s six-round Final Stage of the Qualifying School in Tarragona.

Three Irish players are in position to join them via this week’s Second Stage qualifiers at four Spanish venues.

While the third round could not be completed in the weather-delayed qualifier at Isla Canela Links in Albacete, Royal Dublin amateur Max Kennedy fired a sensational, bogey-free, seven under 65 to move up to tied second in the clubhouse on 12 under in the race for 23 places in the Final Stage.

Ardglass’ Cormac Sharvin jumped to tied 23rd on seven-under after a 66, but Mark Power is a shot outside the mark on six-under after making a double bogey at the 18th in a 71.

Paul McBride’s hopes were dashed as he crashed to 75th on four-over after a 78.

At Desert Springs Resort in Almeria, Clandeboye’s Jonny Caldwell goes into the final round tied for 10th in the battle for 22 spots.

But he’s just two shots inside the qualifying mark on 11-under after a 70 with Liam Nolan a shot outside the mark on eight-under after a 73.

Paul Dunne shot 71 to lie three shots outside the top 22 on six-under, while Niall Kearney moved to within four of the mark with an excellent 67.

There was no good news for the Irish at the other two venues.

Rowan Lester shot 73 and lies 12 strokes outside the top 22 on four-over at Fontanals in Girona, where Athenry amateur David Kitt retired.

Galway’s Ronan Mullarney also looks out of the running for one of 23 places at Golf Las Pinaillas in Albacete after a one-over 72 left him eight shots outside the qualifying mark on one-over.

Meanwhile, Lauren Walsh finished tied for 22nd in the Aramco Team Series - Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

She closed with a level par 72 to finish on four-under, 14 strokes behind England’s Charley Hull.

The European Solheim Cup star shot a six-under 66 to claim a three-shot victory on 18-under over Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup

Meanwhile, the LPGA’s TOTO Japan Classic was reduced to 54 holes after day three was washed out by Tropical Storm Kong-Rey.

Leona Maguire goes into Sunday’s final round tied for 43rd, ten shots behind Japan’s Hana Wakimoto on three-under.