Carey’s PGA Tour dream in tatters as Donegan and Mehaffey shine at Q-School
Aine Donegan and caddie Sam Murphy are all smiles during the Lalla Aicha Q School - Pre Qualifying at Fairmont Royal Palm Golf & Country Club, Marrakech. Credit: Tristan Jones/ LET
David Carey’s hopes of winning his PGA Tour card suffered a killer blow when he opened with a seven-over 77 at the Final Stage of Q-School in Florida.
The Dubliner (29) began his quest for one of five cards on the back nine at Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass.
But after making an early birdie at the 12th, he bogeyed the 14th and 17th before running up a nightmare, quadruple-bogey eight at the water-lined 18th.
He got a shot back at the par-five first but double bogeyed the 353-yard third and bogeyed the sixth to end his day near the back of the 174-man field.
While there is no cut, Carey hit just five fairways and only ten greens in regulation, leaving him with zero room for manoeuvre now if he's to finish in the next 40 after the five card winners, who will be awarded Korn Ferry Tour status.
It was a far better day for the Irish at the Ladies European Tour’s Lalla Aicha Q-School pre-qualifiers in Morocco.
Lahinch’s Aine Donegan fired seven birdies in a six-under 66 to take a five-shot lead into the final round at Fairmont Royal Palm Golf and Country Club in Marrakech.
She's in pole position to make the top 19 and ties who qualify for the Final Stage battle for 20 cards, which begins next Tuesday with Castlerock’s Annabel Wilson already exempt.
“The round today went well, pretty similar to yesterday, just with fewer mistakes,” the Co Clare native (23), who is hoping to join her former Curtis Cup-winning team mates Lottie Woad, Mimi Rhodes, Sara Byrne and Lorna McClymont on the LET.
“I played really solid. I’ve found the Q-School experience really good so far. All the LET staff have been great as well. I’m looking forward to another round tomorrow.”
It was also a great day for Olivia Mehaffey at Palm Golf Marrakech Ourika, where she made six birdies in a three-under 69 to sit alone in second, a shot behind Thailand’s Kan Bunnabodee, on seven-under.
“I played the par-fives nicely today,” Mehaffey said. “I hit three of them in two. Then I hit two wedges to two feet, which was fun.
“I have the same plan for tomorrow as the first two days, really. Just focusing on each shot and the same strategy on course.
“Having played Q-School before, you know what to expect; it definitely helps having the experience of knowing what the week involves and managing the emotions of it.”
The top 20 and ties progress at Ourika, but while Canice Screene was joint fourth on two under after a 72 at Palm Golf, amateur Olivia Hunt saw her hopes dashed by an 82 that left her joint 58th on 15 over.
On the DP World Tour, Spain's Eugenio Chacarra played his last 11 holes in eight under par to share the lead with Christiaan Burke in the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
With preferred lies in place, their nine under 63s did not qualify as an official course record but still left them a shot clear of South Africans Brandon Stone and Thriston Lawrence after a day of low scoring at Royal Johannesburg Club.
“I think I played really good golf,” Chacarra said after finishing with an eagle three.
“Obviously, the course is playing a little easier being softer, but still, you need to hit the shots out there.
“Happy with the start, but it’s only the first round, a lot of golf left.”
