Donnelly leads on mixed day for the Irish at Alps Tour Q-School
Luke Donnelly
Kilkenny’s Luke Donnelly made a flying start in his bid for an Alps Tour card when he opened with a five-under 65 to share the lead at the First Stage of the Qualifying School at Miglianico Golf & Country Club in Pescara.
Donnelly bogeyed the 10th but then birdied the 12th and followed another dropped shot at the 16th with a birdie at the 17th and an eagle three at the 18th to turn in three-under 33.
Scores at Miglianico Golf & Country Club
He then followed six pars with birdies at the seventh, eighth and ninth to share the lead with Spain’s Joel Ramirez Martin.
Around a third of the field is expected to progress at each of the three first-stage venues which means Rhys Clarke is on the mark at the same venue.
Clarke eagled the 18th to share 23rd after a two-over 72 with France based Michael Young a shot further back in 32nd after making four birdies, five bogeys and a double-bogey in a three-over 73.
There are no Irish in action at Golf Club Le Fonti in Castel San Pietro Terme near Bologna where England’s Russell Chrystie and Floris De Haas of the Netherlands lead by three strokes after opening with three-under 68s.
At Acaya Golf Club in Lecce, where scores soared in winds gusting up to 63kmph, Conor Coyne was seven over with six to go after making three double bogeys in his first five holes. But he rallied to card a five-over 76 that left him tied for fourth, two shots behind England’s Ben Schmidt and Sweden’s Filip Lundell.
While James Sugrue and Darragh Flynn shot nine-over 80s, they are tied for 25th and still in contention to qualify for next week’s Final Stage after Friday’s second and final round.
Cork’s John Hickey needs a round in the mid-sixties, however, after posting a 16-over 87
The 54-hole Final Stage takes place from November 10-12 with Robin Dawson, Marc Boucher, and Simon Bryan already exempt.
A 144-strong field will play one round each at Golf Nazionale and Terre dei Consoli Golf Clubs near Rome.
After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the leading 65 players and ties who will then play one further round at Golf Nazionale.
After 54 holes, the leading 35 players and ties will be ranked according to score.
Players holding these positions will be eligible for membership in Category 6 of the Alps Tour for the 2022 season.
Players making the cut of the Final Qualifying Stage and finishing between the 36th and the 65th position will be eligible for membership in Category 8 of the Alps Tour for the 2022 season.
Players between the 66th and the 144th position will be eligible for membership in Category 9.
Players in categories 8 and 9 will be subject to the 2022 re-rank policy adopted by the Alps Tour Committee.
See all Alps Tour Q-School regulations.
