Kearney shows wind prowess to lead in Cadiz
Niall Kearney. Picture: Getty Images
Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney kept his hopes of making next week’s Challenge Tour Grand Final alive by firing a error-free, six-under par 66 in blustery conditions to lead the Andalucía Challenge de Cádiz at Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri.
The Dubliner (32) leads by two strokes from Spain’s Jacobo Pastor with Germany’s Allen John, Spanish duo Manuel Elvira and Alfredo Garcia-Heredia, and Finland’s Roope Kakko tied for third place on three under par.
Ranked 113th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, he needs a big week to earn a spot in next week’s Challenge Tour Grand Final.
“I played really well, I played solid,” said Kearney who tied for 22nd in the Andalucía Challenge de España on the same course last week. “I got some great practice in over the last couple of days and everything felt pretty well the way it should have.
“The year has been so difficult that it’s hard to get any momentum, it’s hard to get any rhythm. The goal is to make the Grand Final. I played okay last week two days but it was a bit tricky the other two days so I think I need a third or fourth place finish this week to make it into next week, so that’s the goal.”
Only 15 players were under par on the opening day of the Challenge de Cádiz and with the wind swirling, Kearney admitted he did not expect anyone to shoot as low as his excellent 66.
“I thought, warming up, that it was going to be a tough day,” he said. “The wind was blowing a bit at 30kph and six under is good today, I was happy with that.
“The wind makes a difference on the front nine more than the back. There’s very little shelter on the front nine. You’re out, you’re on the coast, you’re on the seaside there. The back nine is very wooded so although it’s still blowing, you don’t necessarily feel it so if you can keep the flight low enough, it doesn’t affect it too much.
“It’s been great to get away. The Challenge Tour have done a great job just to put both events on. It’s been a tricky year, everyone is just happy to be away with card in hand, playing golf.”
Michael Hoey was tied 14th after a one-under 72 with Gavin Moynihan 54th after mixing three birdies with five bogeys in a 74.
Manuel Elvira, brother of four-time Challenge Tour winner Nacho, ended his round with a hole-in-one on the par three 18th hole to secure a tie for third place going into day two.
Seven players share seventh place on two under par, including England’s Matt Ford, Italian duo Enrico di Nitto and Lorenzo Scalise, Portugal’s Vitor Lopes, Santiago Tarrio Ben, of Spain, Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard Møller and amateur Eduard Rousaud, who chipped in on the last for birdie.
The second round of the Andalucía Challenge de Cádiz begins at 8am local time, with leader Kearney getting under way at 10.25am.
Andalucía Challenge de Cádiz, Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri, Cádiz, Spain (Par 72)
66 Niall Kearney (Irl),
68 J Pastor (Esp),
69 M Elvira (Esp), R Kakko (Fin), A John (Ger), A Garcia-heredia (Esp),
70 N M?ller (Den), V Lopes (Por), E Rousaud (Am) (Esp), S Tarrio (Esp), M Ford (Eng), E Di Nitto (Ita), L Scalise (Ita),
71 J Thomson (Eng), J Sandborg (Swe), S Matus (Cze), P Oriol (Esp), H Long (Ger), C Blomstrand (Swe), D Boote (Wal), Michael Hoey (Nir), S Gregory (Eng), B Neil (Sco), J Wrisdale (Eng), S Fernandez (Esp), L Nemecz (Aut), H Dana (Ger),
72 K Kouwenaar (Ned), H Sturehed (Swe), R Gouveia (Por), K Johannessen (Nor), A Wilson (Eng), P Angles (Esp), M Simonsen (Den), A Muller (Esp), A Zemmer (Ita), D Gavins (Eng), M Baldwin (Eng), N Von Dellingshausen (Ger), A Hortal (Esp),
73 M Schneider (Ger), M Siem (Ger), A Plant (Eng), F Lacroix (Fra), E Cuartero Blanco (Esp), M Galiano Aguilar (Esp), J Kaske (Fin), C Howie (Sco), M Fenasse (Fra), T Gandy (Imn), N Kimsey (Eng), J Axelsen (Den), J Dantorp (Swe),
74 R Van West (Ned), H Magnus (Isl), J Fahrbring (Swe), C Sahlstrom (Swe), A Hidalgo (Esp), E Lopez-chacarra (Esp), Gavin Moynihan (Irl), C Mivis (Bel),
75 O Lindell (Fin), B Hellgren (Swe), F Maccario (Ita), R De Sousa (Sui), M Lundberg (Swe), G Stal (Fra), T Koivisto (Usa), M Wiegele (Aut),
76 A Karlsson (Swe), K Koivu (Fin), A Del Rey (Esp), M Beltran (Esp), D Borda (Esp), S Tiley (Eng), H Ellis (Eng), G Kristjansson (Isl),
77 M Pastor (Esp), A Knappe (Ger), S Del Val (Esp), J Adarraga Gomez (Esp), L Vacarisas (Esp), M Lampert (Ger), M Ovesen (Den),
78 S Manley (Wal), E Walker (Sco), A Esmatges (Esp), R Petersson (Swe), D Foos (Ger), I Cantero Gutierrez (Esp), D Berna Manzanares (Esp), D Young (Sco), J Sainz (Esp),
79 V Pastor (Esp), B Virto (Esp),
80 J Brun (Fra)
