Walker Cup player Niall Kearney is one of 37 Irishmen who have entered the first stage of the European Tour Qualifying School later this month.

The 21-year old Royal Dublin amateur will tee it up in a 115-man field at Fleesensee Golf and Country Club near Berlin from September 22-25 alongside Justin Brink and fellow South of Ireland champions Mark Campbell and Mervyn Owens.

Kearney is one of six Irish amateurs amongst the 749 hopefuls who will begin their bids of European Tour cards at stage one. The others are Ulstermen Byron Campbell and Ruairi McGee, Newlands’ Irish international Cian Curley, Royal Dublin’s Neil O Briain and Portmarnock’s James Fox.

Portstewart’s Paul Cutler, who was disappointed not to make the Walker Cup side this year, has not entered.

Fourteen of the 37-strong Irish army have been allocated places at The Oxfordshire, 45 minutes from Heathrow, including US based Chris Devlin, Waterville’s David Higgins and John Kelly, the Irish Club Professional champion.

The number of players qualifying to proceed to the Second Stage, which will be played at four venues in Spain from November 20-23, will not be less than 18 per course.

The Final Stage will be played over 108 holes at PGA Golf de Catalunya near Girona in Spain from  November 28 to  December 3. 

A field of 156 players will play two rounds over both the Tour and Stadium Courses. After 72 holes, the field will be cut to the leading 70 players and ties who will play two further rounds. At the conclusion of 108 holes, the leading 30 players and ties will be eligible for membership in Category 11(b) of the European Tour (and Category 4(a) of the Challenge Tour) for the 2010 season.

Players making the cut and finishing beyond 30th place will be eligible for membership in Category 14 of the European Tour and of the Challenge Tour (Category 7) for the 2010 season. Players failing to make the cut will be eligible for membership of the Challenge Tour (Category 12) for the 2010 season.

Players paid an entry fee of £1,350 (approximately €1,546) to enter the school.

Irish entrants (alphabetical)

Eddie BARR Irl Section B Golf de Moliets

Greg BOWDEN Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

Justin BRINK Irl Section B Fleesensee G & C Club

Byron CAMPBELL (AM) N.Ire Section A Ribagolfe 

Mark CAMPBELL Irl Section B Fleesensee G & C Club

Michael COLLINS Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

Cian CURLEY (AM) Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

Chris DEVLIN N.Ire Section B The Oxfordshire

Noel FOX Irl Section A Ribagolfe

James FOX (AM) Irl Section A Dundonald Links 

Shane FRANKLIN Irl Section B Golf de Moliets

Stephen GRANT Irl Section A Ribagolfe

Ger HALL Irl Section A Dundonald Links

David HIGGINS Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

Niall KEARNEY (AM) Irl Section B Fleesensee G & C Club

Justin KEHOE Irl Section A Dundonald Links

John KELLY Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

Richard KILPATRICK N.Ire Section B The Oxfordshire

Michael LAVELLE Irl Section A Dundonald Links

Brendan McCARROLL Irl Section B Golf de Moliets

Paul MCDONALD Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

Brian MCELHINNEY Irl Section A Dundonald Links

Ruaidhri MCGEE (AM) Irl Section B Circolo Golf Bogogno

Cian MCNAMARA Irl Section B Golf de Moliets

Darren MCWILLIAMS N.Ire Section B The Oxfordshire

Damian MOONEY N.Ire Section B The Oxfordshire

Alan MURRAY Irl Section A Lübker Golf Resort

Mervyn OWENS Irl Section B Fleesensee G & C Club

Neil O'BRIAIN (AM) Irl Section A Dundonald Links 

Paul O'HANLON Irl Section B Golf de Moliets

Peter O'KEEFFE Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

David RAWLUK Irl Section B Circolo Golf Bogogno

Tim RICE Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

Glen ROBINSON Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

Adam SAVAGE Irl Section A Ribagolfe

Mark STAUNTON Irl Section B The Oxfordshire

Barrie TRAINOR Irl Section A Dundonald Links

 

By venue allocations

Dundonald Links (Field: 90) Section A  15th – 18th Sept 2009 

James FOX (AM) Irl

Ger HALL Irl

Michael LAVELLE Irl

Justin KEHOE Irl

Brian MCELHINNEY Irl

Neil O'BRIAIN (AM) Irl

Barrie TRAINOR Irl

Chart Hills (Field: 90) Section A  15th – 18th Sept 2009 

 

Ribagolfe (Field: 51) Section A  15th – 18th Sept 2009 

 

Lübker Golf Resort (Field: 43) Section A  15th – 18th Sept 2009 

 

Golf de Moliets (Field: 120) Section B  22nd – 25th Sept 2009 

Eddie BARR Irl 

Shane FRANKLIN Irl

Cian MCNAMARA Irl

Brendan McCARROLL Irl

Paul O'HANLON Irl

 

The Oxfordshire (Field: 120) Section B  22nd – 25th Sept 2009 

Greg BOWDEN Irl

Michael COLLINS Irl

Cian CURLEY (AM) Irl 

Chris DEVLIN N.Ire 

David HIGGINS Irl

John KELLY Irl

Richard KILPATRICK

Paul MCDONALD Irl

Darren MCWILLIAMS N.Ire 

Damian MOONEY N.Ire

Peter O'KEEFFE Irl

Tim RICE Irl

Glen ROBINSON Irl

Mark STAUNTON Irl

 

Fleesensee G & C Club (Field: 115) Section B  22nd – 25th Sept 2009 

Justin BRINK Irl

Mark CAMPBELL Irl

Niall KEARNEY (AM) Irl

Mervyn OWENS Irl

 

Circolo Golf Bogogno (Field: 120) Section B  22nd – 25th Sept 2009 

Ruaidhri MCGEE (AM) Irl

David RAWLUK Irl