Irish draw a blank at Q-School

Team Ireland’s Dermot McElroy. Picture: Thos Caffrey/Golffile.ie

All three Irish contenders had disappointing final rounds to miss out at the European Tour’s First Stage Section B Qualifying School test at Stoke By Nayland.

Team Ireland’s Dermot McElroy was inside the top 16 with a round to go but closed with a seven over 78 to miss out by two strokes on five-over par.

It was also a day to forget for Colin Fairweather, who shot 77 to finish on nine-over while New Ross amateur Michael Ryan posted a 79 to miss out by ten shots.

England’s Jamie Abbott closed with a two-over 73 to top the qualifiers by one stroke on eight-under from Norwegian amateur Kristoffer Reitan as 16 players qualified for November’s Second Stage on three-over 287.

it was a low scoring affair in Austria with all 23 qualifers finishing with a lower score than Abbott’s eight under in England. 

Casey Wittenberg topped the list as he finished a shot ahead of Italian Aron Zemmer on 18 under par.

Stoke by Nayland

1. Jamie Abbott

2. Kristoffer Reitan

3. Jack Davidson

4. Sean Kelly

5. Sam Forgan

6. Brant Peaper

7. Gabriel Axell

8. Miles Collins

9. Steven Burak

10. Robin Petersson

11. Louis Hirst

12. Lewis Pearce

13. Thriston Lawrence

14. Patrick Ruff

15. Joshua McMahon

16. Bradley Moore

Ebreichsdorf

1. Casey Wittenberg

2. Aron Zemmer

3. Victor Gebhard Østerby

4. Brett Rankin

5. Miguel Carballo

6. Perry Cohen

7. Stefano Pitoni

8. Maximillian Lechner

9. Raphaël De Sousa

10. Richard Jouven

11. Gregor Main

12. Mikkel Hjorth

13. Peter Erofejeff

14. JJ McMillen

15. Leonhard Astl

16. Mathias Eggenberger

17. Fredrik Gustavsson

18. Ake Nilsson

19. Dan Hebenstreit

20. Felix Palson

21. Bryden MacPherson

22. Ross Cameron

23. Haraldur Magnus

European Tour Qualifying School

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

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