Solid start for the Irish at DP World Tour Q-School

Five Irishmen got off to fast starts in their bid for DP World Tour cards at the First Stage of the Qualifying School in England.

The top 17 and ties will progress to next month’s Second Stage in Spain from the First Stage qualifier at Donnington Grove Golf Club in Newbury and it was a solid opening day for five of the seven-strong Irish challenge.

First Stage - Arlandastad Golf

First Stage - Donnington Grove Golf Club

Niall Kearney, Tom Dowdall and Marc Boucher opened with two-under 70s to share seventh place, five strokes behind England’s Paul Taylor.

David Carey and Cormac Sharvin were a shot further back in 13th after 71s, but a 73 left Michael Young joint 40th, while Paul McBride was tied for 54th after a 74.

Kinsale’s John Murphy, who has struggled with his driver in recent seasons, was 28th after opening with a one-over 71 in his First Stage qualifier at Arlandastad Golf in Sweden.

The former Walker Cup star (27) was just two strokes outside the top 17 and ties who progress in Rosenburg, where American David Pastore shot a six-under 64 to top the first round leaderboard.

Murphy did well to shoot 71 after he slipped to three-over with eight holes to play before finishing with back-to-back birdies.

Five First Stage qualifiers have already taken place, but so far, only Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley and Whitehead’s John Ross Galbraith have made it to next month’s Second Stage in Spain.

The action continues next week with Charleville’s Jordan Boles and Castle’s Robert Moran teeing it up at Frederikshavn Golfklub in Denmark and Stephen Grant, Mark Power and Alex Maguire playing at Golfclub Schloss Ebreichsdorf in Austria.

Limerick’s Tim Rice will play the last of ten First Stage qualifiers at Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil from October 7-10.

There will be four Second Stage qualifiers in Spain from October 30 to November 2, with around 312 golfers bidding to make it to the six-round Final Stage battle for cards at Infinitum Golf in Tarragona from November 7-12.

A field of 156, which could include Irish players from the HotelPlanner and DP World Tours, will tee it up at the Final Stage with the top 20 and ties after six rounds earning DP World Tour cards.

Players who make the cut and finish beyond the top 20 and ties, but within the leading 40 players and ties, will be eligible for membership on the HotelPlanner Tour.