Q-School joy for Kearney, Fairweather and McElroy; agony for O'Rourke

Niall Kearney. Picture: Getty Images

Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney, Knock’s Colin Fairweather and Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy progressed to next month’s Second Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School but there was no luck for Conor O’Rourke or Chris Selfridge at Frilford Heath.

Kearney closed with a three under par 69 and Fairweather a level par 72 in the First Stage Qualifying Section D test at the Oxfordshire venue to share fifth place on four-under-par 284.

Exactly 20 players made it on two-under 286 or better and they also included McElroy, who shot 71 to make it on three-under par.

Naas’ O’Rourke was inside the top 20 and ties for the first three rounds after scores of 68, 74 and 72.

But the former St Andrews Links Trophy winner, 26, followed a birdie at the sixth with a double-bogey six at the eighth and a bogey at the ninth to slip level for the tournament.

While he birdied the short 11th, he finished with seven successive pars to agonisingly miss out of the Second Stage by a solitary stroke on one-under 287.

Chris Selfridge would have needed a 64 to make it but shot 73 instead and missed out by nine strokes on seven-over.

Fairweather, Kearney and McElroy join Brendan McCarroll, David Carey and John-Ross Galbraith for the Second Stage where they could be joined by several Challenge Tour players who are not exempt into the Final Stage at Lumine in Tarragona from November 11-16.

As for the winner, Peter Tarver Jones carded a closing 69 despite almost missing his tee time.

The Englishman forgot to bring his clubs to the Oxfordshire course but after a friend drove for one hour and 30 minutes to retrieve his bag Tarver Jones was able to tee off in the final group of the day.

The 29-year-old kept his composure to card five birdies and two bogeys during his final 18 holes and reach nine under par overall to finish one shot clear of Wales’s Mark Laskey.

Meanwhile, at Bogogno Golf Resort in Italy, South Africa’s Christiaan Basson signed for a 68 to win the other section of First Stage taking place this week.

The 35-year-old was the only player in the field to card four rounds in the 60s and reached 16 under par overall to finish one clear of France’s Alexandre Daydou.

Of the 110 players taking part at Bogogno, 24 progressed to the Second Stage in Spain next month.

First Stage Qualifying Section D, Frilford Heath (Par 72)

Detailed Scores

1 TARVER-JONES Peter Q ENG -9 68 69 73 69  279 €1,800
2 LASKEY Mark Q WAL -8 72 69 72 67  280 €1,200
3 DEAN Joseph Q ENG -7 68 70 73 70  281 €900
4 JOHANNESSEN Kristian Krogh Q NOR -5 72 71 74 66  283 €650
5 FAIRWEATHER Colin Q NIR -4 74 66 72 72  284 €90
5 HELLGREN Björn Q SWE -4 70 72 70 72  284 €90
5 KEARNEY Niall Q IRL -4 75 71 69 69  284 €90
5 RÖNNEBLAD Hannes Q SWE -4 70 71 73 70  284 €90
5 WATSON Nick Q ENG -4 68 72 73 71  284 €90
10 BOOTE David Q WAL -3 69 72 73 71  285  
10 CHANG Heemin Q KOR -3 72 70 72 71  285  
10 COUPLAND Dave Q ENG -3 72 69 75 69  285  
10 FORD James Q ENG -3 66 72 73 74  285  
10 HORSFIELD Sam Q ENG -3 73 72 69 71  285  
10 HOWARTH Jamie Q ENG -3 70 69 73 73  285  
10 KUNZENBACHER Julian Q GER -3 68 75 73 69  285  
10 MCELROY Dermot Q NIR -3 73 70 71 71  285
10 WATT Brady Q AUS -3 71 76 69 69  285  
19 SHERIDAN - MILLS Henry Q ENG -2 71 69 74 72  286  
19 THOMSON Jonathan Q ENG -2 72 73 71 70  286  

Non-qualifiers

21 MCCLATCHIE (AM) Kyle  RSA -1 78 69 71 69  287  
21 O’ROURKE Conor  IRL -1 68 74 72 73  287  
21 SHERWOOD Nick  USA -1 74 72 69 72  287  
24 CORNFORD Luke  ENG 68 72 78 70  288  
24 KINNEAR Paul  ENG 73 72 74 69  288  
24 LAIER Max  GER 74 72 74 68  288  
24 PILGRIM Kyle  USA 73 72 74 69  288  
24 SØGAARD Mads  DEN 69 75 72 72  288  
29 BUSHER Robbie  ENG +1 72 73 73 71  289  
29 CHAPMAN Adam  ENG +1 72 73 72 72  289  
29 FLACK Kevin  USA +1 74 72 70 73  289  
29 FREEMAN James  ENG +1 69 76 78 66  289  
29 STUBBS (AM) Alex  ENG +1 72 72 73 72  289  
29 WALSH Josh  ENG +1 73 74 71 71  289  
35 O'NEILL Liam  ENG +2 73 73 75 69  290  
35 PONCELET Xavier  FRA +2 71 72 74 73  290  
37 CHAUDHURI Neil  ENG +3 67 72 78 74  291  
37 HUNT Toby  WAL +3 73 70 79 69  291  
37 MIGLIOZZI Guido  ITA +3 73 75 72 71  291  
37 SPOONER Billy  ENG +3 70 73 73 75  291  
37 WHITE Joshua  ENG +3 73 71 76 71  291  
42 CAMPBELL Thomas  NZL +4 70 75 73 74  292  
42 ENDYCOTT (AM) Harrison  AUS +4 74 73 74 71  292  
42 JAMES Mark  ENG +4 72 70 73 77  292  
42 KOKOCINSKI Malcolm  SWE +4 73 72 71 76  292  
42 KOMLINE Casey  USA +4 74 72 72 74  292  
42 LAWRIE Craig  SCO +4 76 69 71 76  292  
42 PHILLIPS Van  ENG +4 71 75 70 76  292  
49 KRISTIANSEN Anders  NOR +5 74 73 75 71  293  
49 PAYNE Greg  ENG +5 72 72 75 74  293  
49 SHADBOLT Tom  ENG +5 76 71 71 75  293  
49 SMYTH (AM) Travis  AUS +5 75 76 72 70  293  
49 WILSON James  ENG +5 75 72 75 71  293  
54 GODDARD Luke  ENG +6 71 74 74 75  294  
54 LINDSTROM Niklas  SWE +6 74 73 73 74  294  
54 MAYE Clifford  FRA +6 68 72 76 78  294  
54 THOR BJORNSSON Andri  ISL +6 72 75 74 73  294  
58 BROWN (AM) Dan  ENG +7 75 73 73 74  295  
58 JONES Ioan  WAL +7 70 75 71 79  295  
58 RAWSTHORNE Ben  ENG +7 77 72 70 76  295
58 SELFRIDGE Chris  NIR +7 76 76 70 73  295  
62 REAY Haydn  ENG +9 76 75 72 74  297  
63 JONES Andrew B  ENG +10 77 69 74 78  298  
64 LAMBERT Jared  USA +11 78 72 71 78  299

Missed the cut

• 65 GREHAN Stuart IRL +8 76 71 77 224
• 83 MCELHINNEY Brian IRL +14 74 78 78 230
• 97 LE BLANC Kevin IRL +34 80 83 87 250