Late double dents Kearney's Asian Tour Q-School challenge
HUA-HIN-THAILAND - Kevin Mclister of USA in action during round two of the Asian Tour final stage qualifying school on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at the Springfield Royal Country Club, Hua Hin, Thailand. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Royal Dublin's Niall Kearney only made the halfway cut by the skin of his teeth after a damaging double bogey on his final hole in the Asian Tour Q-School in Thailand.
The two-time Irish Professional champion took six on the ninth at Springfield Royal Country Club in a four over par 75 that saw him slip from 18th to tied 97th with two rounds to go.
Only the top 100 and ties made the cut and Kearney made it on the one over par limit in the race to finish inside the crucial top 40 and ties following the last two rounds over the Springfield Royal Course in Hua Hin.
Kearney is just four strokes outside the top 40 and ties but a massive 13 shots behind American Kevin McLister, who shot a five-under par 66 to lead by one shot at the halfway stage on 12 under par.
The 26-year-old American, who missed the halfway cut in his first attempt at the Qualifying School last year, fired seven birdies against two bogeys at the Springfield Royal Country Club
India’s Chikkarangappa S. put himself in contention at the Qualifying School for the second year straight when he carded a flawless 64 thanks to one eagle and five birdies at the Imperial Lakeview Golf Club to take second place.
Kearney made two birdies and four bogeys in his first 13 holes before a six on the ninth left him perilously close to the cut mark.
Leading second round scores:
130 - Kevin MCLISTER (USA) 64 66
131 - Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 67 64
132 - Tom JOHNSON (USA) 65 67
133 - Michael WRIGHT (AUS) 66 67, Yikeun CHANG (KOR) 63 70
134 - Kodai ICHIHARA (JPN) 66 68
135 - Sebastian HEISELE (GER) 68 67, Marcus BOTH (AUS) 68 67, Thriston LAWRENCE (RSA) 66 69
136 - Wolmer MURILLO (VEN) 68 68
137 - Seunghyun CHOI (KOR) 72 65, Jobim CARLOS (A) (PHI) 69 68, Victor OSTERBY (DEN) 70 67, Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 68 69, Darren TAN (AUS) 69 68
138 - Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 73 65, Raphael DE SOUSA (SUI) 69 69, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 70 68, Niclas JOHANSSON (SWE) 68 70, Johannes VEERMAN (USA) 70 68, Malcolm KOKOCINSKI (SWE) 68 70, Richard JUNG (CAN) 69 69, George GANDRANATA (INA) 72 66, Shunya TAKEYASU (JPN) 69 69, Tichakorn SAWADEE (THA) 69 69, Rory HIE (INA) 68 70, Hamza AMIN (PAK) 72 66, Quincy QUEK (SIN) 66 72
