EPD Tour — Royal County Down's Reeve Whitson clinched the best finish of his fledgling professional career when he tied for 12th in the Open Casa Green Golf in Morocco.

Four of Ireland’s Walker Cup winners face an all-or-nothing week at the Second Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School in Spain from Friday.

Paul McGinley and Peter Lawrie showed their support for Special Olympics on Tuesday when they teed it up with stars from the world of golf and football at PGA Catalunya Golf Resort north of Barcelona.

Birr's Stephen Grant and Headfort's Brian Casey closed with six under par 64s to claim Top 10 finishes in the ECCO Tour's winter series event at PGA Catalunya Resort near Girona.

Peter Lawrie is just one tantalising shot outside the Top 25 who will win their 2015 European Tour cards on Thursday with Italian Renato Paratore on course to become the youngest winner in European Tour Qualifying School history.

Kevin Phelan made a fine start in his bid to win back his tour card when he opened with a three under par 69 on the tough Stadium Course in the Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School at PGA Catalunya Resort.

A hole-in-one helped Gareth Maybin secure a joint-seventh finish at the Spanish Open and a boost to his hopes of keeping his card as Miguel Angel Jimenez smashed his own record to win on tour at the age of 50.

Shane Lowry was happy and Gareth Maybin, presumably, was equally pleased as he produced an awesome display of ironplay to give himself a chance of getting his Race to Dubai season back on the strait and narrow in the Open de España.

Shane Lowry, Paul McGinley and Simon Thornton remained in touch with the leaders as they battled to level par 72s in the first round of the Open de España at a testing PGA Catalunya Resort.