Tour round up: Galbraith shines at Q-School; Maguire makes mark at The K Club
Alex Maguire
DP World Tour Q-School
Whitehead’s John Ross Galbraith got off to a fast start by opening with a seven-under-par 65 in the First Stage of the DP World Tour. Qualifying School at The Northumberland Golf Club in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The former Irish Amateur Close champion (31), who has played mainly on the Clutch Tour this year but missed the cut in his two start on the HotelPlanner Tour, made eight birdies and a bogey to lie just a shot behind Scotland’s Craig Howie.
First Stage - The Northumberland Golf Club
The top 14 and ties after four rounds will qualify for next month’s Second Stage in Spain and while Naas’ Robert Brazill and Connemara’s O’Neill are tied for 21st after opening 70s, Meath’s Daniel Mulligan (20) is 54th after a 75, while former Amateur Championship winner James Sugrue from Mallow (28) is joint 60th after a 76.
HotelPlanner Tour
Liam Nolan, Max Kennedy, Dermot McElroy and Jonny Caldwell head the Irish challenge in this week’s Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos.
With just four events to go before the trip to Mallorca for the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A, the pressure is on to win points and move up the Road to Mallorca standings.
Nolan has fallen to 30th heading into this week with Kennedy 31st as he returns to action following his missed cut in the Amgen Irish Open.
The top 46 will contest the Grand Final, which means that McIlroy (99th) and Caldwell (136th) need some big weeks.
DP World Tour
Rory McIlroy was the star of the show with his spectacular playoff win, while Shane. Lowry showed form everywhere but on the greens as he tied for 15th,
Tom McKibbin also had a solid week, but Alex Maguire was the big Irish winner at The K Club, where he tied for 50th and made an eagle and 18 birdies over the four rounds.
The Laytown and Bettystown player (24) earned just over €19,000, which will help fund his quest for a card at the DP World Tour Qualifying School.
He plays the First Stage in Austria later this month.
It was a tougher week for the other eight Irish players in the field.
Robert Moran, Seamus Power and Mark Power missed the level par cut by two strokes.
Max Kennedy finished alongside Padraig Harrington on five over after a second round 71, while Conor Purcell made too many errors and shot a brace of 76s.
Fota Island amateur John Doyle (18) gained experience as he carded rounds of 74 and 79.
Alps Tour
The Alps Tour remains in France for the Hauts France-Pas Calais Open with Galway’s Ronan Mullarney on course to win one of five HotelPlanner Tour cards.
The former Irish Amateur Close champion (29) finished tied for seventh in last week’s Longwy Alps Open, four shots behind Spain’s Javier Barcos.
He’s now fifth in the Alps Tour Order of Merit with just two events to go before the Grand Final in Rome.
Hugh Foley missed the cut in the Longwy Alps Open and lies 28th in the Order of Merit while Robert Moran is 20th after he competed in the Amgen Irish Open at The K Club and missed the cut.
Mullarney is joined in Calais this week by Marc Boucher (28) who has made one cut from eight Alps Tour starts this season.
LPGA
Leona Maguire will be keen to move up the Race to CME Globe after this week’s Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G in Ohio.
After a week off last week, the Co Cavan golfer joins Stephanie Meadow at TPC River's Bend ranked 52nd in the season-long points race.
She’s had two top 10s in 20 starts this year, finishing ninth in the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and joint seventh in the Amundi Evian Championship.
Ladies European Tour
Lauren Walsh rallied last week after an opening 75 to make the cut and finish tied 43rd in the Aramco Houston Championship in Texas.
The Castlewarden golfer shot rounds of 68 and 71 to finish on two-under, 11 strokes behind Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz.
Sara Byrne missed the level par cut by five strokes after rounds of 78 and 71 with Annabel Wilson three strokes further back after a brace of 76s.
Walsh is now 20th in the Order of Merit with Anna Foster 41st, Leona Maguire 64th, Byrne 87th and Wilson 92nd.
Walsh returns to action in the Swiss Ladies Open this week alongside Wilson, Byrne and Canice Screene.
LETAS
There are no Irish players in action in this week’s Hauts de France Pas de Calais Golf Open.
But it was another positive week last week for amateur Aine Donegan from Co Clare, who tied for 18th in the Rose Ladies Open at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club.
Rounds of 69, 74 and 72 left the Lahinch star tied for 18th on one-under, ten shots behind France’s Emma Falcher.
Q-Series
Donegan is entered for Pre-Qualifying for the LPGA Q-Series at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, from September 24-25.
Quaoifying is set for: Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. from October. 15-18) with Final Qualifying (Dec. 4-8) at Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama.
