Triple chance at First Stage of Q-School

Team Ireland’s Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) Photo: Golffile / Thos Caffrey.

Team Ireland’s Dermot McElroy, Colin Fairweather and Mick Ryan can make it through the First Stage of the European Tour Qualfying School today.

Cork amateur Kieran Lynch missed the 54-hole cut at Stoke by Nayland as Stephen Grant and Peter Dallat bowed out after three rounds at Ebreichsdorf in Austria.

McElroy is the only Irishman inside the top 16 and ties who will progress from the Colchester venue, lying solo eighth on two under after a one-under 70.

The top 16 were one-over or better but with Fairweather up 25 spots to tied 20th on three-over, he’s just two shots off the pace with New Ross amateur Ryan four shots outside the magic number on five-over after a 75 yesterday.

Lynch missed the three round cut  there after rounds of 77, 79 and 80 and it was a similar story for Grant at Dallat in Austria.

Grant was undone by an opening 80 and rounds of 72 and 71 were not enough to avoid the chop.

“That’s @EuropeanTour Q School over for me unfortunately,” Grant tweeted. “I got the tough side of the draw in round 1 very windy in afternoon & greens were in bad shape which did not help but that’s part of the test. 3  poor holes in a row in round 1 cost me an 80, level par round 2 and -1 round 3.”

Around 1,000 golfers entered the First Stage of the Q-School this year and those who make it through will be joined by another 120-plus exempt players at the Second Stage (2nd - 5th November), including many of our Challenge Tour players. A further 60-plus exempt players will those the qualifiers from the Second Stage at the Final Stage at Lumine Golf Club (Lakes and Hills Courses) in Tarragona from November 10-15.

The Final Stage is scheduled to be played over 108 holes. A field of 156 players will play two rounds over each of the Lakes and Hills Courses. After 72 holes, the field will be cut to the leading 70 players and those players tied on the final qualifying place score who will then play two further rounds.

At the conclusion of 108 holes, the leading 25 players (and those players tied on the final qualifying place score) will be ranked according to score. Each of these players will be eligible for membership of the EuropeanTour (category details to be confirmed) for the 2019 season and will be subject to any re-rank policy adopted by theTournament Committee.

Players making the cut and finishing beyond 25th place will be eligible for membership of the EuropeanTour (category details to be confirmed) for the 2019 season. Players failing to make the cut will be eligible for membership of the European ChallengeTour for the 2019 season.Te

European Tour Qualifying School

Sep 18-21 — First Stage Europe Section B Stoke by Nayland

Scores

8 Dermot McElroy 67 74 70 211

T20 Colin Fairweather 76 74 66 216

T30 Michael Ryan (Am) 70 75 73 218

72 Kieran Lynch (Am) 77 79 80 236

Sep 18-21 — First Stage Europe Section B GolfClub Schloss Ebreichsdorf. Austria

Scores

MC Stephen Grant 80 72 71 223 FQ

MC Peter Dallat 73 74 78 225 FQ

Sep 11-14 — First Stage Europe Section A Fleesensee, Germany

Scores

• T18 Colm Moriarty 74 70 70 69 283 FQ

• T25 Michael McGeady 70 72 72 71 285 FQ

First Stage Europe Section A The Players Club, Bristol, England

Scores

• T3 Luke Donnelly Q 77 71 62 74 284 QUALIFIED

• 6 Neil O'Briain Q 72 68 72 74 286 QUALIFIED

• T34 Brian McElhinney 79 74 70 74 297 FQ

• T45 Joe Dillon 71 77 76 76 300 FQ

• MC Brendan McCarroll 75 82 79 236 FQ

Sep 25-28 — First Stage Europe Section C Golf Club Bogogno, Italy

1. Cameron Raymond

Oct 09-12 — First Stage Europe Section D Golf d’Hardelot, France

1. Peter Williamson

Oct 09-12 — First Stage Europe Section D Bom Sucesso, Óbidos, Portugal

1. Jonathan Caldwell

2. David Carey

3. Conor O’Rourke

4. Jonathan Yates