Maybe it's the €1,800 entry fee (£1,400) but there are "just" 22 Irish entries for the First Qualifying Stage of the EuropeanTour Qualifying School - six fewer than 12 months ago.

We say 22, but it may be 21 if the "Joe Dillow" entered for Frilford Heath next month turns out to be clerical error as Headfort's Joe Dillon goes at Collingtree Park next week.

While Naas amateur Jack Hume is exempt into the Second Stage as one of the leading five entrants in the top 15 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of August, he will be joined there by any number of Irish players from the Challenge Tour or European Tour, depending on their ranking.

The first of eight First Stage events begin on Tuesday with Clontarf PGA professional Eamonn Brady, Naas amateur Conor O'Rourke, Ardglass' Cormac Sharvin, Killeen Castle's Rick Weldon and Royal County Down's Reeve Whitson at The Roxburgh in Scotland and Mount Juliet's Stephen Grant at Fleesensee in Germany.

See entry form for exemption details

European Tour Qualifying School 2016

Sep 13-16 First Qualifying Stage Section A The Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course;
The Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course, Kelso, United Kingdom - Scotland

1. Eamonn BRADY Clontarf GC
2. Conor O’ROURKE (AM) Naas Golf Club
3. Cormac SHARVIN Ardglass GC
4. Richard WELDON Killeen Castle GC
5. Reeve WHITSON Royal County Down G.C

Sep 13-16 First Qualifying Stage Section A Fleesensee, Fleesensee G&CC, Fleesensee, Germany

1. Stephen GRANT Mount Juliet GC

Sep 20-23 First Qualifying Stage Section B Ebreichsdorf, Golfclub Schloss Ebreichsdorf, Ebreichsdorf, Austria

1. Richard BRIDGES Stackstown GC
2. Rory MCNAMARA La Cala Resort

Sep 20-23 First Qualifying Stage Section B Collingtree Park, Collingtree Park, Northampton, United Kingdom - England

1. Colm CAMPBELL Jnr (AM) Warrenpoint GC
2. Brian CASEY
3. Joe DILLON Headfort GC
4. Dermot MCELROY Ballymena GC

Sep 27-30 First Qualifying Stage Section C Ribagolfe; Ribagolfe, Lisbon, Portugal

1. David CAREY
2. Declan LOFTUS Breaffy House Resort
3. Gavin MOYNIHAN Mount Wolseley GC

Sep 27- 30 First Qualifying Stage Section C Golf d’Hardelot; Golf d’Hardelot, Hardelot, France

1. Tim RICE Limerick GC

Oct 4-7  First Qualifying Stage Section D Circolo Golf Bogogno; Golf Club Bogogno, Bogogno, Italy

1. Brian KELLY (AM) Atalaya GC

Oct 4-7 First Qualifying Stage Section D Frilford Heath Red;  Frilford Heath, Abingdon, United Kingdom - England

1. Jonathan CALDWELL Clandeboye GC
2. Joe DILLOW
3. Niall KEARNEY Royal Dublin
4. Mark MORRISSEY (AM)
5. David RAWLUK The Island GC