Neil O'Briain cruises to Sunshine Tour card
TRIM, IRELAND - MAY 19: Neil O'Briain (Old Conna Golf Club) in action during the Galvin Green PGA Assistants' Championship - Irish Qualifier. May 19, 2015. Photo by Patrick Bolger/Getty Images
Old Conna's Neil O'Briain closed with a one-under-par 71 to finish tied for 22nd and secure his Sunshine Tour card at the Final Stage Qualifying School in Johannesburg,
The 30-year-old Dubliner, who was exempt into the final stage at Randpark Golf Club, carded rounds of 71, 72, 74 and 65 to make the 72-hole cut for the top 60 with ease in tied 21st.
He then finished the job on Friday, carding three birdies and two bogeys in a final rond 71 to make the top 30 and ties with two shots to spare on seven-under-par.
Amateur Herman Loubser signed off with a 69 to take the top card on 20-under-par 360 and lead 34 players onto the main professional golf circuit in Southern Africa.
Scores
“I’m over the moon," said Loubser, who finished two strokes clear of the Martin Rohwer. "It’s such a good feeling. To walk away with the trophy is such a good feeling,” he said. “It was a gruelling challenge out there.”
Lucan's Richard O'Donovan missed out by ten strokes as he finished tied 63rd on five-over-par after rounds of 72, 75, 71, 72 and 75.
Royal Dublin's Jeff Hopkins missed the 72-hole cut by two shots on four-over 292 (73 75 74 70).
Sunshine Tour Qualifying School, Randpark Golf Club (Par 72)
Qualifiers
340 – Herman Loubser 68 66 71 66 69
342 – Martin Rohwer 72 69 69 65 67
343 – Chris Lloyd 68 68 70 67 70
344 – Scott Campbell 72 67 66 67 72
345 – Wynand Dingle 69 69 69 70 68
346 – Andrew Van der Knaap 73 74 65 68 66
348 – Coert Groenewald 68 73 71 67 69
349 – Aubrey Beckley 67 70 73 70 69, Luke Jerling 70 66 70 72 71, Andre Nel 70 67 70 70 72, Cody Martin 69 70 69 69 72
350 – Quintin Wilsnach 75 70 70 69 66, Chris Cannon 77 69 70 65 69, Jason Smith 69 73 68 69 71, Dayne Moore 70 70 71 68 71, Combrinck Smit 70 72 68 68 72
351 – Matthew Spacey 71 70 70 71 69, Stuart Smith 74 63 67 71 76
352 – Damon Stephenson 69 71 74 72 66, N.J. Arnoldi 67 71 71 73 70, Dongkwan Kim 72 66 73 70 71
353 – Jacquin Hess 68 75 70 71 69, Gert Myburgh 67 73 77 69 67, Neil O’Briain 71 72 74 65 71, Antonio Rosado 71 69 69 73 71, Zack Byrd 73 69 69 68 74
354 – Matias Calderon 72 72 69 70 71, Kyle Pilgrim 72 69 73 69 71
355 – Thriston Lawrence 68 75 69 72 71, Francois Coetzee 71 73 73 67 71, Damian Naicker 73 68 75 68 71, Jaco Mouton 68 70 69 78 70, Sean Bradley 69 74 70 71 71, Danie Van Niekerk 69 69 71 74 72.
