Kennedy joins Hurley and McElroy at Q-School finale as weather delays Almeria quartet

Royal Dublin amateur Max Kennedy will join Dermot McElroy and Gary Hurley at this week’s Final Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain.

But it remains to be seen if Jonny Caldwell, Liam Nolan, Paul Dunne and Niall Kearney can win one of 23 spots when the final round of their weather-delayed Second Stage qualifier concludes at Desert Springs in Almería today (Monday).  

Hurley and McElroy had a mathematical chance to win their cards at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca where the top 22 in the season-long, Road to Mallorca points race earned promotion to the main tour.

In the end, they fell further in the Rankings but will have a second chance to win status at this week’s six-round Final Stage of Qualifying School in Tarragona.

Hurley tied for 31st in Mallorca on six-under after a closing 68 but fell one spot to 44th in the Rankings with McElroy down three spots to 40th after a 69 left him tied 36th on three-under.

Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell claimed the sixth DP World Tour card when he tied for 23rd in the Grand Final.

The Dubliner (27) carded a three-under 69 to finish on nine-under at Club de Golf Alcanada where the top 22 in the season-long points race, rather than the top 20, earned cards as Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who topped the rankings, and South Africa’s Robin Williams were already promoted via the Race to Dubai.

Neergaard-Petersen tied for second with Spain’s Angel Ayora in the season-ending event, one stroke behind Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, who shot 68 to win on 23-under and graduate in seventh after starting the week ranked 36th.

West Waterford’s Hurley and Ballymena’s McElroy now head for the Final Stage of Q-School looking to finish in the top 20 after six rounds.

They will be joined by Kennedy, who came through the Second Stage battle for 24 spots at Isla Canela Links in Huelva.

The 23-year-old Dubliner tied for 14th on 15-under after a three-under 69 but there was no luck for Tramore’s Mark Power, who needed an eagle at the 18th to make it but made a bogey six to finish three shots outside the mark on 10-under despite closing with a 68.

Ardglass’ Cormac Sharvin missed out by five shots eight-under after a 71 with The Island’s Paul McBride 13 shots outside the qualifying mark on level par after a 68.

Nobody managed to finish their fourth rounds in the weather-delayed battle for 23 spots at Desert Springs in Almería.

Play did not start until the afternoon due to the threat of lightning, meaning Caldwell (T10 after 54 holes), Nolan (T25), Dunne (T44) and Kearney (T48) must return at 8:45 am local time today to try and make it to the Final Stage.

As for the other two Second Stage venues, there was no luck for Galway’s Ronan Mullarney, Hermitage’s Rowan Lester or Athenry amateur David Kitt.
Mullarney missed out by 13 shots at Golf Las Pinaillas in Albacete, carding a three-over 74 to finish 68th on four-over as 24 players qualified after a five-man playoff for the last three spots on nine-under.

Thailand’s David Boriboonsub topped the leaderboard on 18-under while Australia’s Haydn Barron and Slovakia’s Jakub Hrinda were the top qualifiers on 18-under at Fontanals Golf Club in Girona.

Lester closed with a one-over 72 to tie for 68th on five-over, 15 shots outside the top 23 who qualified there while Kitt retired on seven-over after two rounds.