Team Ireland’s Gary Hurley picked the perfect time to grab his first win as a professional when he won the First Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School at Frilford Heath as Kevin Phelan and Cameron Raymond also progressed to November’s Second Stage.

The former Walker Cup star (25) followed rounds of 71, 71 and 68 with a three-under 69 to top the leaderboard by three strokes on nine-under 279 and win one of 27 spots on offer with Phelan (27) tied for sixth on five-under after a 71.

It’s been a tough season for the West Waterford man, who has missed nine cuts in 14 starts, and for Phelan, who has made the final day just six times from 12 starts on the Europro Tour.

Raymond played just three times on the Europro Tour, finishing 20th in his last start at the Newmachar Golf Club Challenge in Aberdeen last week and using that as a springboard to a good week in Italy, where he shot rounds of 70,70, 71 and 67 to tie for 13th at a venue where 24 players progressed.

European Tour Qualifying School

Sep 25-28 — First Stage Europe Section C Frilford Heath

Scores

1 Gary Hurley, 71 71 68 69 279 QUALIFIED

T6 Kevin Phelan, 73 69 70 71 283 QUALIFIED

T40 JR Galbraith, 72 74 72 73 291 FQ

T65 Brian Casey, 73 76 70 76 295 FQ

T78 Tim Rice, 72 79 72 223 CUT

T78 Paul McBride, 72 80 71 223 CUT

T78 John Hickey (Am), 74 74 75 223 CUT

T82 Niall Kearney, 72 79 73 224 CUT

T101 Stuart Grehan, 81 75 75 231 CUT

T106 Paul O'Neill, 79 79 75 233 CUT

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

Scores

T13 Cameron Raymond 70 70 71 67 277

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

Scores

T22 Dermot McElroy, 67 74 70 78 289 FQ

T34 Colin Fairweather, 76 74 66 77 293 FQ

T41 Michael Ryan (Am), 70 75 73 79 297 FQ

MC Kieran Lynch (Am), 77 79 80 236 FQ

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

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

Peter Williamson

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

Jonathan Caldwell

David Carey

Conor O’Rourke

Jonathan Yates