Purcell sees Rankings dream evaporate in Mallorca
Angel Ayora. Picture: Getty Images
Conor Purcell couldn’t capitalise on an opening eagle and watched his hopes of topping the Challenge Tour rankings evaporate in the Rolex Grand Final in Mallorca.
The Portmarnock star never felt comfortable at Club de Golf Alcanada where a three over 75 left him 29th on two under, a massive 15 strokes behind halfway leader Angel Ayora.
The Spaniard (20) is projected to top the Road to Mallorca standings after following a course record 62 with a bogey-free, seven under 65 to lead by two shots from Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan, who shot 64.
Gary Hurley moved up to 13th on five-under after a 69 but needs a hot weekend to win a DP World Tour card, while Dermot McElroy’s 71 left him 38th on level par.
The torrential rain and flooding that caused at least 205 fatalities in the Valencia region earlier this week moved further south and affected the Second Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School.
A Monday finish is now on the cards at Isla Canela Links in Huelva, where a flooded course prevented any play until the afternoon.
Mark Power and amateur Max Kennedy were 13th after round one with Paul McBride 30th and Cormac Sharvin 51st in the battle for 23 spots.
There was better news at Desert Springs in Almeria, where Liam Nolan shot a four-under 68 and Jonny Caldwell a 70 to share fifth on nine under in the race for 22 spots.
Paul Dunne was a shot outside the mark on five-under after a 70 with Niall Kearney six adrift after a 74.
Rowan Lester was seven shots outside the top 22 on two-over after a 73 at Fontanals Golf Club in Girona, where amateur David Kitt shot 76 to slip to seven-over.
Ronan Mullarney also faces an uphill task at Golf Las Pinaillas in Albacete, where another level par 71 left him five shots outside the top 23 who progress on level par.
In the Aramco Team Series Presented By PIF - Riyadh, Lauren Walsh suffered with a cold putter and found herself ten shots off the lead after taking 35 putts in a second-round 72 to fall to joint 24th on four-under
Slovenia’s Pia Babnik had no such problems on the greens, rolling in seven birdies in a bogey-free 65 to lead by two shots from England’s Charley Hull on 14 under.
Leona Maguire also shot a level par 72 in the TOTO Japan Classic on the LPGA Tour to go into last night’s third round tied for 43rd on three-under, ten strokes behind Hana Wakimoto.
The Japan star shot 68 to lead by two strokes from American Yealimi Noh and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn on 13 under.
