Kearney left needing hot final round in card bid at Q-School

Niall Kearney

Niall Kearney heads into the final round of the DP World Tour Qualifying School needing something special to win his card.

The Royal Dublin man (38), who had tour status in 2021 and 2022, signed for a three-under-par 68 in his fifth round on the Lakes Course at Infinitum Golf in Tarragona.

But he still fell eight spots on the leaderboard to joint 57th on 15-under-par and lies seven strokes outside the top 15 and ties who will be awarded conditional DP World Tour cards for 2027

England’s Tom Lewis and Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde share the lead on 27-under with a round to go.

Lewis (35) fired an eight-under par 63 to set the pace before Helligkilde shot a 67 to join him at the top with 18 players inside the top 15 and ties on 22-under or better.

Lewis came through a Second Stage play-off to claim an alternate spot in the field in Tarragona and was preparing to board his flight home when he learned he was into the 156-player field.

Helligkilde (30) also has a chance to write a fairytale ending to the season after his injury woes.

He missed the 2025 season with a pinched nerve in his spine before returning to the DP World Tour this season thanks to a membership extension.

Spanish duo Rocco Repetto Taylor and Jose Luis Ballester, Australia’s Cameron John and France’s Paul Beauvy are just a shot off the lead while three-time DP World Tour winner and former Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari is just one shot outside the top 15.

ENDS