HotelPlanner TourBrian KeoghLiam Nolan, Grand FinalComment

‘It feels unreal’ – Galway’s Liam Nolan hails family and friends after clinching DP World Tour card

HotelPlanner TourBrian KeoghLiam Nolan, Grand FinalComment
‘It feels unreal’ – Galway’s Liam Nolan hails family and friends after clinching DP World Tour card
Liam Nolan

Liam Nolan

Galway’s Liam Nolan paid tribute to his parents and close friends after he closed with a brilliant 67 to claim his DP World Tour card at the HotelPlanner Tour’s Grand Final in Mallorca.

The Bearna native (26) entered the week ranked 10th in the race to make the top 15 in the Road to Mallorca standings who would be awarded promotion to the main tour.

“And it’s resulted in achieving a massive goal of mine, which is to play the DP World Tour.”

Nolan, who was 43rd in the Road to Mallorca standings with three events remaining before the Grand Final, made a massive move by following a confidence-boosting tied 31st finish at the Amgen Irish Open on the main tour.

Scores

Final Road to Mallorca rankings

A maiden victory at the Abu Dhabi Challenge catapulted him to 12th in the rankings and into card contention.

He then backed that up with a tie for fifth in the Hainan Challenge the following week, and while he missed the cut in the Hangzhou Open, he impressively finished the job at Club de Golf Alcanada, where France’s Julien Sale shot 65 to win by four shots on 22-under par from Denmark’s Hamish Brown.

“I want to thank my parents (Tom and Edel),” Nolan said. “From junior golf, they put in all the hours of driving me around the country playing tournaments. 

“And it’s resulted in achieving a massive goal of mine, which is to play the DP World Tour.”

Nolan, who was 43rd in the Road to Mallorca standings with three events remaining before the Grand Final, made a massive move by following a confidence-boosting tied 31st finish at the Amgen Irish Open on the main tour.

A maiden victory at the Abu Dhabi Challenge catapulted him to 12th in the rankings and into card contention.

He then backed that up with a tie for fifth in the Hainan Challenge the following week, and while he missed the cut in the Hangzhou Open, he impressively finished the job at Club de Golf Alcanada, where France’s Julien Sale shot 65 to win by four shots on 22-under par from Denmark’s Hamish Brown.

“I want to thank my parents (Tom and Edel),” Nolan said. “From junior golf, they put in all the hours of driving me around the country playing tournaments. 

“My girlfriend Aoife, through all the ups and downs, she’s been really supportive. My caddy Sean (Nohilly), who’s one of my best mates, I definitely couldn’t have done it without him.

‘And my coaches Kenny (Fahey) and Michael (Kennelly) at home, and finally my manager Shane and all the guys at Progressive have been so good to me, helping me manage. 

“Professional golf is not the easiest thing to do. Everyone played such a big role.”

The 2027 DP World season begins with five pre-Christmas tournaments in Australia, South Africa and Mauritius but Nolan was simply looking forward to celebrating.

“It’s just nice that we don’t have to pack up and go to another tournament next week,” he said. “We can finally relax and just don’t have to be too disciplined over the next week, which is nice; just relax and enjoy the achievements of the year.”

Sale finished second in the rankings behind Brown. But just one player came from outside the top 15 to claim their card.

Scotland’s Marc Warren (45), a 2007 World Cup winner with Colin Montgomerie, came home in 32 with a birdie at the 18th to shoot 68 and finish fifth on 15-under, jumping from 20th to 13th in the final rankings to earn his card.

Kearney, Hurley and Mullarney qualify for Final Stage of Q-School

Meanwhile, Niall Kearney, Gary Hurley and Ronan Mullarney came through the Second Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain to qualify for the six-round Final Stage battle for 15 (and ties) conditional cards in Tarragona from November 6-11

Kearney tied for tenth at Golf Las Pinillas in Albacete on 13 under where 19 players will qualify after a Monday play-off on 12 under but Thomas Higgins (9 under), Mark Power (4 under) and John Ross Galbraith (level) missed out.

Mullarney shot a seven-under 65 to finish fifth in the battle for 20 spots at Isla Canela Links on 17-under where Conor Purcell (9 under) missed out by three shots and Max Kennedy (7 under) and Dermot McElroy (2 under) also bowed out.

Alex Maguire (11 under) and Paul McBride (8 under) failed to make the 14-under qualifying Mark at Desert Springs in Almeria.

But there was joy for Hurley at Fonanals in Girona where a 67 left him 12th on nine-under at venue where two players will play off on Monday for the last of 21 spots on seven under.

Robert Moran retired after 54 holes there on two over.

On the LPGA Tour, Japan’s Miyu Yamashita defended the Maybank Championship, closing with a four-under 68 to beat China’s Yan Liu by two strokes.

She won on 22-under par at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, where Lauren Walsh tied for 31st on eight-under.

“My girlfriend Aoife, through all the ups and downs, she’s been really supportive. My caddy Sean (Nohilly), who’s one of my best mates, I definitely couldn’t have done it without him.

‘And my coaches Kenny (Fahey) and Michael (Kennelly) at home, and finally my manager Shane and all the guys at Progressive have been so good to me, helping me manage. 

“Professional golf is not the easiest thing to do. Everyone played such a big role.”

The 2027 DP World season begins with five pre-Christmas tournaments in Australia, South Africa and Mauritius but Nolan was simply looking forward to celebrating.

“It’s just nice that we don’t have to pack up and go to another tournament next week,” he said. “We can finally relax and just don’t have to be too disciplined over the next week, which is nice; just relax and enjoy the achievements of the year.”

Sale finished second in the rankings behind Brown. But just one player came from outside the top 15 to claim their card.

Scotland’s Marc Warren (45), a 2007 World Cup winner with Colin Montgomerie, came home in 32 with a birdie at the 18th to shoot 68 and finish fifth on 15-under, jumping from 20th to 13th in the final rankings to earn his card.

On the LPGA Tour, Japan’s Miyu Yamashita successfully defended the Maybank Championship, closing with a four-under 68 to beat China’s Yan Liu by two strokes.

She won on 22-under par at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, where Lauren Walsh tied for 31st on eight-under.

On the Ladies European Tour, South Africa’s Casandra Alexander closed with an eight-under 64 to win her third title in her last five starts at the Wistron Ladies Open in Chinese Taipei.

Winner of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open and the Buccellati Ladies Italian Open already this season, she triumphed by three strokes at Sunrise Golf and Country Club on 21-under-par from England’s Hannah Screen.  

“That was pretty spectacular; that’s the most comfortable I have felt in a final round,” Alexander said.

Elm Park’s Anna Foster and Douglas’ Sara Byrne both shot 70s to tie for 35th and 54th, respectively.

Alexander tops the Order of Merit with Foster 42nd and Byrne 58th heading to the penultimate-counting $2 million Aramco China Championship in Mission Hills.

The top 70 in the rankings after the season-ending Open de España from November 26-29 will keep their cards.