Slow but steady start for the Irish at Final Stage of Q-School

Infinitum Golf in Tarragona

Three of the five broke par but it was still a slow start for Ireland’s hopefuls at the Final Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain.

None of the quintet in action at Infinitum Golf in Tarragona managed to finish the day inside the top 20 and ties who will be awarded Category 18 DP World Tour cards after six rounds.

Whitehead’s John Ross Galbraith was the best of the bunch, but his two-under 70 at the Hills Course left him tied for 42nd, two strokes outside the top 20 and ties.

Australia’s Connor McKinney fired a bogey-free, nine-under 62 at the Lakes to lead by two strokes from Switzerland’s Cedric Gugler and South Africa’s Zander Lombard, who also played the Lakes, and American Alex Goff, who played the Hills.

Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy and Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell were 63rd after one-under 70s at the Lakes.

Kennedy made five birdies in a row in the middle of his round to get to four under, but triple bogeyed the fifth (his 14th) and bogeyed the seventh before finishing with a birdie.

It might also have been better for Purcell, who was two under playing the par-five 18th but took six.

Kilkenny’s Mark Power made three birdies and three bogeys in a level par 71 at the Lakes to share 86th place while Cormac Sharvin battled his way to a one-over 73 at the Hills to end the day tied for 108th.

The top 60 and ties after 72 holes will qualify for the last two rounds.

At the conclusion of 108 holes, the leading 20 players (and those players tied on the final qualifying place score) will be ranked according to score.

Each of these players will be eligible for membership of the DP World Tour in Category 18 (and will be subject to any re-rank policy adopted by the Tournament Committee) and HotelPlanner Tour in Category 5 for the 2026 season.

Players who make the cut and finish beyond 20th place and ties, but within the leading 40 players and ties, will be eligible for membership of the HotelPlanner Tour in Category 9 for the 2026 season.

Players who make the cut but finish outside the leading 40 players and ties will be eligible for membership of the HotelPlanner Tour in Category 13 for the 2026 season.

Players who fail to make the cut will be eligible for membership of the HotelPlanner Tour in Category 15 for the 2026 season.