Irish Golf News

European Captain Darren Clarke. Picture/EurAsia Cup 

Shane Lowry has made his first European team after being named by captain Darren Clarke as one of the ten automatic qualifiers to take on Asia in the second edition of the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM.

The Offaly man joins Race to Dubai runner up Danny Willett and Ryder Cup players Victor Dubuisson and Ross Fisher in the line-up

Clarke will add his two captain’s picks to the final line-up in two weeks’ time to compete against Jeev Milkha Singh’s Asia team at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club, in Kuala Lumpur, from January 15-17, 2016. 

Set for his first run as a captain, Clarke said: “I am delighted with the make-up of the team. It may be a relatively young one, but it is extremely strong and packed with experience. All the players have tasted success and are very talented so there is every reason to go to Kuala Lumpur with confidence.

“The EurAsia Cup also offers many of our players the opportunity to enhance their prospects of making next September’s Ryder Cup team. It’s also a good chance for me to see how comfortable they are with and in a team environment.

“Team Europe have always had a very strong team ethos and I will expect nothing less this time. We know the strength of the Asian side and the difficulty of the task facing us, but I also know our team will be up to the challenge.”

Europe first 10 for the EurAsia Cup

• Kristoffer Broberg
• Victor Dubuisson
• Ross Fisher
• Matthew Fitzpatrick
• Søren Kjeldsen
• Shane Lowry
• Andy Sullivan
• Bernd Wiesberger
• Danny Willett
• Chris Wood

World Number 20 Willett, who pushed Rory McIlroy to the wire in season-long Race to Dubai after two victories in the 2015 campaign, is one of five Englishman to qualify as the leading ten available players from the final 2015 Race to Dubai rankings. 

The 28 year old is joined by Fisher, who has plenty of match play pedigree after representing Europe in the 2010 Ryder Cup and playing in the Seve Trophy twice; alongside Dubuisson who was a revelation in his Ryder Cup debut at Gleneagles last year, notching two and a half points out of a possible three, after representing Europe in the inaugural EurAsia Cup earlier that year.

Joining them are two-time European Tour winner Chris Wood, who also featured in the Seve Trophy in 2009 and 2013; Andy Sullivan, a three-time winner in 2015 who pushed McIlroy all the way in last week’s DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, and 21 year old Matthew Fitzpatrick, who recorded ten top ten finishes in his rookie European Tour season, including a brilliant breakthrough win in the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.

The quintet is join by Lowry, who claimed the biggest win of his career to date with victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August; Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, who captured his third European Tour title in July’s Alstom Open de France; four-time European Tour winner Søren Kjeldsen of Denmark, who lifted the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation in May and who has featured in two Seve Trophy matches, and Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg, who claimed his maiden European Tour title in the BMW Masters two weeks ago.

Clarke’s team will attempt to win the EurAsia Cup for the first time after the inaugural contest, also played at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in March 2014, ended in a thrilling 10-10 draw. 

With the teams increased from ten players to 12, the second edition will now feature 24 matches rather than 20, with day one consisting of six fourball matches, followed by six foursomes matches on day two and 12 singles matches on the final day. 

The winning team will share prize money of US$3.6 million while the runners-up will share US$1.2 million.

Europe’s opposition in Malaysia will be finalised next month, with Singh’s team formed from the leading four available Asian players from the 2015 Asian Tour Order of Merit as of December 14, the leading four eligible and available Asian players from the Official World Golf Ranking as of December 14, and four captain’s picks.

Meanwhile, according to the Daily Telegraph, Clarke has chosen Denmark's Thomas Bjorn as his first Ryder Cup assistant captain.

 

Graeme McDowell moved up to 53rd in the world folowing the RSM Classic at Sea Island and insisted he’s excited about his progress as he bids to win his fifth Ryder Cup cap under Darren Clarke next year.

The Portrush man fell from 15th to 85th in the world this year but he’s risen 32 spots in two weeks thanks to his win in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba and his third place finish behind maiden winner Kevin Kisner in Georgia.

“I’m exiting with a lot more than I’d hoped for coming into these couple weeks,” McDowell said of his end to 2015. "My game has been in decent shape the last few months, but I came away from Turkey, my last event in Europe, with not a lot to show for myself.

"I kept kind of throwing it away on the weekends despite the fact that I knew I was starting to sort of building some confidence and momentum.

"So these two weeks have been so big for me on many levels. Like you said, gives me something to really take into the off-season, something to build on in the new year.

Clarke’s team may not be as strong as recent Europpean line ups in terms of experience with players like McDowell, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Thomas Bjorn currently outside the top 12 Europeans in the world.

Play well today @Graeme_McDowell at the @TheRSMClassic. Like the styles? https://t.co/AsUTw9eszu with free shipping pic.twitter.com/zPYIk3EWoN

— G-Mac by Kartel (@GmacbyKartel) November 22, 2015

Only four players ranked outside the Top 50 in the world the previous November have gone on to make the last three teams —  Nicolas Colsaerts (75th in 2011), Peter Hanson (54th in 2011), Stephen Gallacher (62nd in 2013) and Paul Lawrie, who was 149th in the world and Europe’s 48th highest ranked player the previous November before going on to win twice the following year.

Colsaerts and Gallacher needed wildcards and while that’s good news for Europe’s current No 48, David Horsey, the odds are that Europe’s 12 man team will come from within the current world’s Top 60. 

If history is our guide, the 2016 team will be made up from the top 20 names below with the possibility of a surprise package from well down the rankings.

Current European world rankings

1. Rory McIlroy 3 
2. Justin Rose 5
3. Henrik Stenson 7  
4. Sergio Garcia 11
5. Danny Willett 20
6. Shane Lowry 21
7. (Paul Casey unavailable) 25
8. Martin Kaymer 26 
9. Russell Knox 28 
10. Bernd Wiesberger 30
11. Victor Dubuisson 35
12. Andy Sullivan 36 
13. Soren Kjeldsen 45
14. Matthew Fitzpatrick 47
15. Chris Wood 52
16. Graeme McDowell 53
17. Ian Poulter 54
18. David Lingmerth 55
19. Lee Westwood 56
20. Francesco Molinari 62    
21. Jamie Donaldson 64
22. Kristoffer Broberg 65
23. Marc Warren 66    
24. Luke Donald 72
25. Thorbjorn Olesen 77
26. Tommy Fleetwood 79
27. Ross Fisher 83
28. Joost Luiten 84
29. Ricardo Gouveia 85
30. Thomas Pieters 88
31. Miguel A Jimenez 89
32. Alexander Levy 90
33. James Morrison 91
34. David Howell 94  
35. Alexander Noren 95
36. Tyrrell Hatton 100
37. Richie Ramsay 101
38. Eddie Pepperell 106
39. Rafael Cabrera Bello 111
40. Stephen Gallacher 114
41. Pablo Larrazabal 122
42. Lee Slattery 126
43. Lucas Bjerregaard 128
44. Gary Stal 134
45. Padraig Harrington 138
46. Marcel Siem 141
47. Rikard Karlberg 143
48. Alex Cejka 150

Here’s how the 2014 Paul McGinley team ranked in week 47 2013

1. Henrik Stenson 3
2. Justin Rose 5
3. Rory McIlroy 6
4. Graeme McDowell 12
5. Ian Poulter 13 Captain’s pick
6. Luke Donald 15 (DNQ/Not selected)
7. Sergio Garcia 19
8. Lee Westwood 23 Captain’s pick
9. Jamie Donaldson 30
10. Victor Dubuisson 31
11. Thomas Bjorn 34
12. Martin Kaymer 38
13. Jonas Blixt 39 (DNQ/Not selected)
14. Matteo Manassero 41 (DNQ/Not selected)
15. David Lynn 44 (DNQ/Not selected)
16. Peter Hanson 46 (DNQ/Not selected)
17. Miguel Angel Jimenez 47 (DNQ/Not selected)
18. Joost Luiten 55 (DNQ/Not selected)
19. Thorbjorn Olesen 58 (DNQ/Not selected)
20. Stephen Gallacher 62 Captain’s pick

2012 - Jose Maria Olazabal (Captain) Rankings in week 47 the previous year

1. Luke Donald 1
2. Rory McIlroy 2
3. Lee Westwood 3
4. Martin Kaymer 4
5. Graeme McDowell 14
6. Justin Rose 16
7. Sergio García 17
8. Paul Casey 21 (DNQ/Not selected)
9. Ian Poulter 25 (Captain’s pick)
10. Robert Karlsson 28 (DNQ/Not selected) 
11. Anders Hansen 31 (DNQ/Not selected)
12. Simon Dyson 32 (DNQ/Not selected)
13. Thomas Bjorn 33 (DNQ/Not selected)
14. Fredrik Jacobson 34 (Not eligible)
15. Darren Clarke 36 (DNQ/Not selected)
16. Francesco Molinari 39
17. Miguel Angel Jimenez 40 (DNQ/Not selected)
18. Martin Laird 42 (DNQ/Not selected)
19. Gonzalo Fdez-Castano 46 (DNQ/Not selected)
20. Alvaro Quiros 47 (DNQ/Not selected)
21. Peter Hanson 54
22. Matteo Manassero 56 (DNQ/Not selected)
23. Joost Luiten 66 (DNQ/Not selected)
24. Nicolas Colsaerts 75 (Captain’s pick)
25. Padraig Harrington 80  (DNQ/Not selected)
26. Jamie Donaldson 83  (DNQ/Not selected)
27. Pablo Larrazabal 84 (DNQ/Not selected)
28. Ross Fisher 87 (DNQ/Not selected)
29. David Lynn 96 (DNQ/Not selected)
30. Fredrik Andersson Hed 98 (DNQ/Not selected)
31. Raphael Jacquelin 100 (DNQ/Not selected)
32. Michael Hoey 101 (DNQ/Not selected)
33. Carl Pettersson 102 (DNQ/Not selected)
34. Johan Edfors 106 (DNQ/Not selected)
35. Brian Davis 107 (DNQ/Not selected)
36. Richie Ramsay 116 (DNQ/Not selected)
37. David Horsey 117 (DNQ/Not selected)
38. Stephen Gallacher 127 (DNQ/Not selected)
39. Tommy Fleetwood 128 (DNQ/Not selected)
40. Rafael Cabrera Bello 129  (DNQ/Not selected)
41. Gregory Havret 130 (DNQ/Not selected)
42. Gregory Bourdy 131 (DNQ/Not selected)
43. Robert Rock 133 (DNQ/Not selected)
44. Mark Foster 135 (DNQ/Not selected)
45. Lorenzo Gagli 136  (DNQ/Not selected)
46. Shane Lowry 137 (DNQ/Not selected)
47. Rhys Davies 140 (DNQ/Not selected)
48. Paul Lawrie 149

Shane Lowry with the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational trophy. Picture/Getty

Watch out America, Shane Lowry believes he has “gained the respect” he feels he deserves in the US and will be ready to “come out all guns blazing in January” to improve on his memorable 2015.

The Clara man’s best season ends at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City next week and while he had a disappointing Final Series on the European Tour, finishing 20 shots behind Rory McIlroy in a tie for 48th in the DP World Tour Championship on Sunday, he's determined to build on the mental boost he got by winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and use America as the key to his 2016 campaign.

While he fell three spots to 21st in the latest world rankings, the 28-year old Offaly star is up 23 spots on his position 12 months ago and looking to step up again next year and make Darren Clarke’s Ryder Cup team.

He’ll get his first taste of what it’s like to play on a European team when he plays in the EURASIA CUP presented by DRB-HICOM in Malaysia from January 15-17.

But after that he will be spending most of the next five months in America and he’ll be looking to come home for the Irish Open with his Ryder Cup spot well in hand.

Speaking to Meridian Media’s Denis Kirwan after the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday, Lowry refected on 2015 and how his breakthrough win in the US in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone could prove crucial to him mentally when it comes to competing in the US.

He gleaned huge pleasure from delivering under pressure in Akron, explaining: “It’s great to be able to look back on that and say that you did it when it mattered.

"Going to America next year now will be easier becuase I will get decent draws. You almost gain that little bit more respect. 

"I remember Thomas Bjorn came up to me at the PGA after I won and he said, ‘I’ve been trying for years to win over there and if feels harder going over there where you haven’t won.’

“The fact that I have won over there now, I feel I have gained that little bit of respect I feel I deserve.”

Though he was tied ninth in the US Open, Lowry missed the cut by a stroke in the other three majors this year.

But he believes that he isn’t too far away from finding the right balance in major weeks and he’s looking forward to planning his 2016 season around “historic venes” Augusta National, Oakmont, Royal Troon and Baltusrol respectively.

He’s also hoping to make his Ryder Cup debut under Darren Clarke at Hazeltine in Minnesota in September and playing well in those majors will be crucial to getting there after a poor end to the European Tour campaign meant he missed the chance to make a significant move up the Ryder Cup qualifying lists.

“It would have been nice to put some points on the board but a little mental fatigue set in over the last few weeks,” said Lowry, who has opted to target the World Points list as he’s playing exclusively in the US until the Irish Open in mid May.

Shane Lowry at the launch of his Kartel clothing range at Greystones Golf Club on July 6. Picture: Ronan Lang

“It’s difficult at times to snap yourself out of that. And that’s really where I went wrong. I am just going to have to come out all guns blazing in January.”

On his end of the European Tour season, he preferred to relfect on the positives that went before rather than the flat finish

“I’m disappinted with the last three weeks,” he said. "Maybe I tried a bit hard to do well but is just difficult at times. I am a litte bit down now with the way I played today but that’s just the way I am.

"I try to look forward rather than look behind. But it’s been a great season and to win a WGC this year is more than I could have asked for. 

"I don’t know where I am going to be in the world rankings by the end of the year but definitely the top 25 and the Top 5 in the Race to Dubai. So again, it is another year of progression.

"I feel like I am getting better and every year. I feel like I am progressing in the game. So if I can better this year, next year, I will be standing in this position happy enough again.”  

The king is not dead. Long live the king

Even the best in the world need constant motivation and stimulation and there's no doubt that Rory McIlroy got that in spades 2015. The impressive way he closed out his third Race to Dubai title in four years by winning his DP World Tour Championship marks him out as a special talent. The arrival on the scene of Jordan Spieth and Jason Day can only be good for McIlroy. But the fact that he mentioned "putts" or "putting" some 16 times in his post Dubai press conference is certainly an indication of his mindset.

"For me, it seems like the more pressure I'm under or the more it means, the better I putt, which is a nice thing to have," he said. "I feel like my game and my putting has been gradually progressing throughout these last few weeks. It was nice to hold (sic) some putts over the weekend there that I needed.

"But I know if I putt like this and I putt like this regularly, this is what can happen, because as I said at the start, my ball-striking has been there all throughout this Final Series, and even before that, even coming back from the injury, my ball-striking was never the thing that I was worrying about...

"I feel like the last few events, I've come off the course a lot of times frustrated because I really feel like I could have done better and I put myself in the position to do better.

"But I guess I saved the best for last. I feel like I finally showed this week what was in there. I just needed to find something to be able to let it out and thankfully this week I was able to do that."

In other words, if I putt well, it's game over folks.

That putt. pic.twitter.com/tpf6F9GSiT

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 22, 2015

With four wins from 20 starts this year, McIlroy has never had a better year in terms of success rate. That he didn't win one of the three majors he played irked him no end and missing the Open though injury was a blow. That's he's vowed never to become obsessed with his weaknesses is a one thing but he's talking more about his putting, bringing the subject up himself when he putts well and when he doesn't 

Had he putted well, he would have won the 2011 Masters by a huge margin and it was a similar story this year, though Spieth was probably untouchable at Augusta. Whatever about his streakiness on the greens, McIlroy's most important number is his scoring average and at his best, he is the best player in the world hands down. Spieth might have the edge in the mental game but McIlroy simply has more game and when he's good, he's very, very good. 

Channeling our inner Mexican @Nonabluetavern tonight! pic.twitter.com/m8SC6HJQ4z

— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) November 17, 2015 G-Mac's back

Even a talent like Graeme McDowell needs an edge to stay competitive and Graeme McDowell reacted brilliantly to his wake up call this year. Following his win the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, the 36-year old finishing third behind Kevin Kisner in the RSM Classic at Sea Island on Sunday evening to give a horror story a fairytale ending. Everyone needs motivation to perform at a high level and McDowell was in danger of becoming a victim of his own considerable success — beautiful family, money to burn, businesses outside the game, a major on the sideboard and a host of big hitting young guns making life difficult at work. Losing the goose that lays the golden eggs proved to be all the motivation McDowell to get back to basics and reapply himself. The Ryder Cup is on the horizon but McDowell will also be returning to the site of his Open at Royal Troon with a genuine chance of winning this time. Watch this space.

Even better to see @EuropeanTour new CEO Keith Pelley talking to the caddies! pic.twitter.com/dU7HlQGNgs

— Jamie Gough (@jamiegoughgolf) November 22, 2015 Keith Pelley, the man from the telly

The new European Tour CEO is the new poster boy for the power of positive thinking. With his marketing background, he's creating his message: the European Tour has "wonderful" players and "magical" events that are worth playing even if you are a world star based in the US. Judging by a brief TV interview with Sky's David Livingstone in Dubai on Sunday — "It's only six hours from London" was Pelley's PR hook for anyone thinking of a weekend away —  his vocabulary is full of words such as "terrific" (his favourite), "unbelievable", "magnificent", "brilliant" and "incredible," He's finding out what the players want — he says he's spoken to all the players, adding that he's spoke to around "15 players," In the words, he's some to the players who matter and listened to them.

Keith Pelley: "Wentworth is 5.1 million Euros. The event in US that week is 6.1. That's unacceptable. Wentworth needs to be $8-10 million."

— Steve Elling (@EllingYelling) November 17, 2015

If they want better tournaments with more money and a reason not to spend that weekend waxing the Ferrari, Pelley says he will make them "wealthier". He wants fans and the media to focus on who IS playing rather than who isn't. In short, he's an energetic Canadian with a sense of humour, a plan, fresh ideas and energy. His style may be a challenge for some of his more traditional staff going forward but as he showed when changing the membership criteria, shaking things up is not a problem for him. He's even spent time chatting to the caddies. Not that really is terrific.

It's nice to see the new CEO of @EuropeanTour Keith Pelley interacting with the players! @andysulligolf #thatsafirst pic.twitter.com/jnSDhKd9tV

— Jamie Gough (@jamiegoughgolf) November 22, 2015 Shane Lowry's Great Expectations

 The pride of Clara had a chance to win the Race to Dubai following his WGC-Bridgestone Invitational victory but ended up slipping from third to fifth. That in itself should give him food for thought. It was, of course, a break out year for a great talent and even better person but while he has great people around him, he struggles to get comfortable when he moves up a level. It's happened to him at every stage and it's what makes him human and popular. Having failed to live up to his own expectations on his Masters debut, he refocussed and grabbed a Top 10 in the US Open.

I added a video to a @YouTube playlist http://t.co/9BoBytvLf4 Shane Lowry Amazing recovery WGC Bridgestone 2015

— Golfsavers (@GolfSavers) August 17, 2015

As a result of that he was expected to challenge for The Open at St Andrews and self-destructed under the weight of expectations — his and those of half the country. Then came Firestone. If the boom-boost trend continues, he'll shine in the early season events in the US, where he'll have his future Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington as a friendly travelling companion. As Paul McGinley said recently. 2016 is a year of consolidation for Lowry with the Olympics, the Ryder Cup and the PGA Tour all on his radar.

Know the feeling well @ShaneLowryGolf when the little white ball doesn't comply. Gr8 season 2 look back on tho! pic.twitter.com/7IJyt86fDz

— IAmGolfCentralDaily (@golfcentraldoc) November 20, 2015 Paul Dunne and the generation game

The brilliance of Paul Dunne from start to finish this year and the promise of his pals Gary Hurley, Gavin Moynihan and Jack Hume (Cormac Sharvin will probably join them in the pro ranks in May) was a shot in the arm for Irish golf. With Damien McGrane and Peter Lawrie approaching the end, Irish golf needs new blood with Seamus Power, Chris Selfridge, Ruaidhri McGee, Brian Casey, Niall Kearney and Niall Turner all capable of reaching the levels shown by Kevin Phelan, arguably our most talented young player (Dunne included).

With invitations on the Challenge Tour set to flow for the elite few, Ireland can be hopeful that our younger players can gain a foothold in the pro game and avoid the third tier tours.

Great par save on 9 for @dunners11 after missing the green twice! Huge. pic.twitter.com/A7gciXHW7t

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) November 19, 2015 Padraig and the "old" guard

There's no doubt that Pádraig Harrington knows what he has to do to win another major. He showed he can still win by beating one of the USA's top young guns in a playoff for the Honda Classic. Whether he can execute all the Major moves at the right time is another question entirely, as we saw in The Open, but as we approach the stage when when the original Big Three of Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley edge a little closer to the Senior Tour, one final moment of glory beckons for one or all next year. With McGinley, a man with fingers in many pies these days, preparing for his final season on the main tour (he's 50 in December 2016) and Clarke set to led a new-look European Ryder Cup team, it's going to be an interesting year for all three.

Graeme McDowell speaks about his round and his "automatic pilot" error on the first. PGATour.com

Graeme McDowell escaped disaster after inadvertently picking up his ball but lies four shots behind American Kevin Kisner as he bids to make it back-to-back PGA Tour wins in the RSM Classic at Sea Island in Georgia.

As Kisner shot a six under 64 to lead by three shots on 16 under from Kevin Chappell with McDowell is alone in third place following a bogey free, five under par 65 and hoping a windy Sunday could bring a difficult season to the perfect conclusion.

"I played nicely today," McDowell said. "I left a couple of putts out there coming in but all in all I made a couple of clutch par saves on the front nine, which got the round going.

Graeme McDowell makes a 14 footer for birdie at the 14th

"The wind was quite gusty at times and I was very happy with the way I flighted my irons and the way I rolled it.

"I didn't roll it very well on this course on Thursday but I felt like i saw the greens better today and did putt better."I've been told about three times walking to the first tee that it was ball down today. And I literally just got into automatic pilot mode on the first fairway and before I realised it, Michael Kim is looking at me funny and I am, like, 'OK, I just picked this ball up, what an idiot.'

"It was just an automatic pilot thing to do. And there was a real game changer potential right there. I get it up and down for four but if I make bogey, who knows what happens to the round from there. So it was a big four and makes it for a better story in the end as well."

Reminded how much his game has improved since the Canadian Open, where he was forced to hit a lot of three woods off the tee just to find fairways, he said: "That was kind of where I hit rock bottom. It's been a long road back from there.

"But I have been working really hard and thankfully I have got some really good people around me to help me keep believing, keep trusting and just keep working really. So this has been the result of some confidence building, good playing, some good technical work and it's great to be back competing again."

On the prospect of winning two in a row, he looked forward to some windy weather help and said: "That would be special. There are a lot of good players on this leaderboard and the weather is going to have a big say tomorrow.

"This golf course is there for the taking if there is no wind and I'd been hoping for a little bit of wind, let's put it that way."

Rory McIlroy. Picture: Getty Images

Even when he’s bad he’s good, though Saturday, Rory McIlroy was as almost good as ever as he shot a best-of-the-day seven under par 65 in the third round of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai to put himself on the brink of a glorious double on Sunday.

It’s the last day of a season that McIlroy would rather forget for its lack of majors and the way he was overshadowed by the imperious rise Jordan Spieth, who won the Masters and the US Open under his nose, almost won The Open when he was injured and then came close again to another major win in the US PGA.

He can only get closer to world No 1 Spieth and world No 2 Jason Day, the eventual winner of the PGA, if he wins his third Race to Dubai title in four years today.

Doing it by playing just 12 events is almost an insult to the opposition and a statement of just how far he towers above everyone in world golf bar, arguably, Spieth and Day.

At his very best, nobody can touch McIlroy as he showed when impressively going through the gears in round three at the Earth Course.

The 26-year old Co Down man, who has a slender lead over his former Walker Cup team mate Danny Willett at the top of the Race to Dubai, produced a ball-striking masterclass with eight birdies and a bogey taking him to 15 under par, one stroke behind leader Andy Sullivan.

Had his putter been any way hot, he’d have shot 62 or possibly lower, which is the story of his career.

Sullivan held on to the lead with a 12-foot par putt at the last for a 68, and will go after his fourth title of the season, after victories in South Africa (twice) and Portugal.

McIlroy has never had a lower score on the Earth Course, where three years ago he did the double in spectacular fashion, and it sent an ominous warning to Danny Willet, realistically the only man who can still pip the 26 year old to the European Number One crown, having kept his chances alive with a five under par 67 to be four strokes behind.

In-form American Patrick Reed is three shots back in third place, while BMW PGA Champion Byeong Hun An is joint fourth on 12 under alongside Argentine Emiliano Grillo.

As for Shane Lowry, who has had a tough time on the greens lately, the Co Offaly man had 32 putts but missed just two greens in regulation and dropped just one shot in a 69 to move up to tied 43rd on two under.

Andy Sullivan“I felt pretty calm out there. I got a little bit frustrated through the middle part of the round. I was not quite on point today and I felt like the putter really saved me on the last few holes. But 68, with the way I played, I’m quite happy with that. I'm playing well and putting really well, so it’s just about trying to give myself as many chances as possible. I know Rory is going to have a good run at it tomorrow. Playing with Rory on the last day of the DP World Tour Championship is going to be amazing.”Rory McIlroy“I guess you can’t really walk off this golf course, especially in these conditions, having shot seven under and not feel good about yourself. But at the same time, I feel like it could have been a lot better. The good thing is that there’s still one round of golf left. If it had of been the final day, I’d be kicking myself with some of the chances I missed. I’m playing lovely, so it bodes well for tomorrow. If I can just keep this up and apply a bit of pressure early on, then hopefully I’ll keep it going. I’m exactly where I want to be, in contention going into Sunday, so it’s all good. It’s my last round of the year tomorrow, the last round of the season, and I want to make the most of it.”Patrick Reed“I hit my tee shots pretty solid today but the iron shots were okay, a little loose, and I felt like I missed a lot of putts out there. It was kind of one of those days when I didn’t see them as well as before. The ball just didn’t seem to want to go in the hole. Any time you’re in the top two or three groups going into the last day, you’re in great position. Hopefully I can go out, shoot a low number and have them chase me.”Willett“I started very similar to yesterday really, pretty stale on the front nine. Then I missed a couple on the back nine, but finished really strong to put us right back in there somewhere near. I don't think you’re going to see Rory come backwards. I think we need to get somewhere near 17 under tomorrow to have a chance. I was hitting a lot of good golf shots and not getting much out of them, but I kept digging in. I was looking at the leaderboard and seeing that people were shooting low scores, which actually helped give us a little bit of a kick up the rear.”Round 3 scores

200 A Sullivan (Eng) 66 66 68,

201 R McIlroy  (Nir) 68 68 65,

203 P Reed (USA) 70 65 68,

204 E Grillo (Arg) 69 64 71, B An (Kor) 70 68 66,

205 D Willett  (Eng) 68 70 67, T Jaidee (Tha) 69 67 69, M Fitzpatrick  (Eng) 68 69 68,

206 B Grace  (RSA) 68 69 69, C Schwartzel  (RSA) 71 65 70,

207 F Molinari (Ita) 67 71 69, C Wood  (Eng) 68 70 69,

208 A Noren  (Swe) 71 66 71, M Kaymer (Ger) 66 71 71, S Kjeldsen (Den) 71 70 67, V Dubuisson  (Fra) 72 67 69,

209 A Cañizares  (Esp) 68 71 70, P Uihlein  (USA) 71 69 69, L Donald  (Eng) 69 72 68, J Luiten (Ned) 69 72 68, R Ramsay  (Sco) 71 70 68, G Stal  (Fra) 71 70 68, B Wiesberger  (Aut) 72 65 72,

210 G Bourdy (Fra) 73 68 69, M Warren (Sco) 72 68 70, K Broberg (Swe) 70 73 67, T Hatton (Eng) 69 69 72,

211 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 73 65 73, L Oosthuizen  (RSA) 73 68 70, L Bjerregaard  (Den) 69 71 71, J Quesne  (Fra) 73 71 67, A Wall (Eng) 71 70 70, I Poulter (Eng) 66 74 71, T Pieters  (Bel) 69 69 73,

212 J Donaldson (Wal) 70 71 71, A Lahiri (Ind) 73 67 72, M Fraser (Aus) 66 72 74, J Van Zyl (RSA) 72 70 70, T Olesen (Den) 70 74 68,

213 R Fisher (Eng) 69 73 71, P Larrazábal (Esp) 69 72 72, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 71 71,

214 F Zanotti (Par) 68 73 73, R Karlberg  (Swe) 72 72 70, S Lowry  (Irl) 75 70 69, M Jiménez (Esp) 68 74 72, S Gallacher (Sco) 73 72 69,

215 L Westwood (Eng) 71 70 74, J Rose (Eng) 71 66 78, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 76 70 69, J Morrison  (Eng) 71 73 71, L Slattery (Eng) 76 71 68,

216 E Pepperell (Eng) 71 72 73, G Storm  (Eng) 73 72 71,

217 D Howell (Eng) 72 76 69,

218 T Fleetwood  (Eng) 77 72 69, A Levy (Fra) 74 71 73, H Stenson (Swe) 77 69 72,

219 R Jacquelin (Fra) 76 69 74,

220 S Hend (Aus) 77 69 74,

Geoff Lenehan in action at Tortugas Country Club

Portmarnock's Geoff Lenehan couldn't celebrate his birthday with a first international championship win in Argentina.

Representing the Ireland alongside Faithlegg's Robin Dawson, the Dubliner made friends but left Argentina empty-handed as Australian John Cameron claimed the Australian Amateur Open Championship. Scoring

The Irish pair began their two week trip with a share of eighth in the weather-affected Copa Juan Tailhade at Los Lagartos Country Club in Buenos, where Canada's Eric Banks and Tony Gil took the team title and Argentina's Matías Simaski claimed the individual glory.

They then moved on to Tortugas Country Club for for last week's 120th edition of the Argentinian Amateur and while just nine holes were possible due to torrential rain in the first strokeplay qualifying round, Dawson shot a 64 on day two to lead the qualifiers for the match play stages from 65 shooter Lenehan.

Dawson fell in the last 16 but Lenehan went on to reach the quarter-finals where he fell to eventual champion Cameron by 4 and 3. Cameron beat Brasil's Andre Tourinho 2 and 1 Saturday's final when Lenehan turned 28.

Stephanie Meadow recognised with Heather Farr Perseverance Award

Stephanie Meadow has been awarded The Heather Farr Perseverance Award after a tough year personally an professional, writes the ILGU.

The award honours an LPGA player who, through her hard work and dedication and love of the game of golf, has demonstrated determination and perseverance on the road to fulfilling her goals.

Stephanie’s father, Robert Meadow was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer earlier this year and Stephanie took a step back during her rookie career to spend time with him.

Unfortunately, Robert lost his battle in May and Stephanie returned to play later that month. Stephanie’s fellow LPGA Tour players voted for her to receive this award in recognition of the difficult year she had.

Juli Inkster, victorious 2015 Solheim Cup Captain was voted by LPGA Tour players as the recipient of the William and Mousie Powell Award. It is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the spirits, ideals and values of the LPGA.

Inbee Park received the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award and Sei Young Kim was honoured with her Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award, which she clinched with two events remaining in the season.

Meadow had a lightening start to her professional career when she made an incredible debut at the Women’s US Open at Pinehurst in North Carolina in June 2014, finishing in third place and three shots behind eventual winner Michelle Wie with prize money of more than $270,000.

She narrowly missed out on securing her LPGA Category 12 Tour Card during the Final Stage of Qualifying at Daytona Beach, Florida in December 2014.

Stephanie was subject to a sudden death playoff alongside six other players in order to gain three of the Category 12 Tour Cards on offer.  In the end, Stephanie lost out to Karlin Beck on the 11th playoff hole and gained Category 17 (Conditional) Tour Status.

Stephanie will return to Daytona Beach, Florida to play in the LPGA Qualifying Tournament – Stage III where she gained her conditional status last year. Qualifying will take place from 30 November – 6 December and she will compete for 20 places amongst a field of 158 other hopefuls.

Players who finish in the top 20 will earn membership through category 12 on the LPGA Tour priority list while those who finish 21 through 45 with earn membership through category 17. In laymen’s terms, players who finish in the top 20 will have “full-time” status on the LPGA Tour while players that finish 21 through 45 will have “conditional” status.  

Further information on Qualifying Tournament Stage III can be found here

Job done. Paul Dunne makes Tour climb 

Paul Dunne might have led The Open as an amateur but he has no plans to stop aiming for the stars following his brilliance performance at the European Tour Qualifying School in Catalonia.

His 23rd birthday falls next Thursday and he hopes to celebrate it by making his debut as an official tour rookie in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in South Africa (followed by the Australian PGA) after surviving the Q-School jungle without suffering much more than a scratch.

The pride of Greystones brilliantly chiseled out his future when he won the 16th of 27 cards at PGA Catalunya Resort, closing with a level par 72 (and an inconsequential three-putt bogey) to tie for 13th on 10 under par, three strokes inside the crucial top 25 and ties after six exhausting rounds.

“It’s a great step for me,” said Dunne, who was one of seven players to come through all three stages this year. “Turning pro straight away, to skip all the mini tours and the feeder tours and to go straight to the main tour is something I always dreamed of doing. 

“As long as I keep setting new goals and reaching towards them, hopefully I can keep playing well and never have to visit this place again."

And that's a card winner in @dunners11 @ETQSchool Impressive pic.twitter.com/44JSYj5OiZ

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) November 19, 2015

With PGA Catalunya Resort seeking the 2022 Ryder Cup, Dunne may be back sooner than he thought after a hugely impressive performance.

Amateurs or budding tour professionals should note that the former University of Alabama Birmingham star played 258 holes over the three stages of Q-School in 32 under par — 14 rounds plus the six extra holes required to get through a six-man playoff for two spots at the Second Stage in Tarragona

“The thing that pleased me most for the whole of Q-School is that I didn’t shoot over par once,”  said Dunne, who had to dig deep on the tough Stadium Course but came up trumps alongside 19-year old Swedish amateur Marcus Kinhult, who also shot 72 to win the 16th card. "It was a steady rise each day.”

After an early birdie from three feet at the second, he double bogeyed the water-protected, par-three fifth to fall back to nine under par but didn’t panic.

After 40-foot lag putt fell into the hole for an unlikely birdie four at the seventh, he holed a 10 footer for a two at the eighth, saved par from 15 feet at the ninth and followed a bogey at the 13th with a crucial sand save from 10 feet at the 14th to remain 11 under.

The kids are alright A big day today for @dunners11 and @marcuskinhult, both on ten under par at #QSchool pic.twitter.com/waSbQRwBUU

— EuropeanTourQSchool (@ETQSchool) November 19, 2015

“The putt on nine was a big one,” said Dunne, who would miss a two footer for par at the last with his card in the bag. “It kind of calmed me down a little bit and I just had to play steady coming in. 

“I dropped one on 13 and hit a bad second to 14, I knew it was important to get that up and down and birdie 15.”

Great par save on 9 for @dunners11 after missing the green twice! Huge. pic.twitter.com/A7gciXHW7t

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) November 19, 2015

After a three wood and four iron to the heart of the 492-yard 15th, a two putt birdie left Dunne on the brink. 

“Once I birdied 15, I knew that if I didn’t do anything stupid I’d be fine on the last three,” he said.

“My No 1 goal since I started back in college in February was to get through Q-School. To achieve something that I’ve been wanting to do and practicing for since February is brilliant.”

While there was joy for Dunne, Damien McGrane made early mistakes that led to him chasing birdies and ending up with bogeys and doubles, slipping from 18th to tied 54th on two under after a 78.

“It changes nothing,” said the 44-year old, who has no plans to return to the circuit next year bar seeking an invitation for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at The K Club in May. 

A good end to a fun week at #QSchool https://t.co/BbMkUWGmaS @EuropeanTour @Challenge_Tour #gettysport #golf

— Richard Heathcote (@rheathcote) November 19, 2015

"Unfortunately, right now, I have no desire to play next year. I’d hope to play the Irish Open but that’s six months away.  That’s as far forward as I am looking.”

There was no luck either for Simon Thornton (71) or Kevin Phelan (72) who to finished one under and level par respectively, well outside the seven under par qualifying mark.

South Africa’s Ullrich van den Berg shot 68 to take the top card on a count back from Spain’s Adrian Otaegui and American Daniel Im on 18 under par while former Ryder Cup player Edoardo Molinari came home in 32 for a 69 to win his card back on the limit.

Great stuff from @dunners11 this week to get his card at Tour School. Always great to have as many paddies on tour as we can

Robin Dawson, Picture via aag.org.ar

Ireland’s Robin Dawson and Geoff Lenehan proved that week of red-meat eating does your game no harm as they fired rounds of 64 and 65 respectively to top the qualifiers for the Argentinian Amateur Open Championship in Buenos Aires.

Torrential rain meant they could only play nine holes of the first qualifying round on Tuesday with both men shooting one over 35s on the front nine at Tortugas Country Club in northwest Buenos Aires.

Scores

Geoff Lenehan (second from right) and friends.

But the carnivorous Irish pair made hay on Wednesday with Faithlegg and Mayooth talent Dawson claiming the Kenneth Gordon Davis Cup as the leading qualifier with a five under par total of 99 strokes for 27 holes following his second round 64.

Dawson gobbled up birdies at the third, fourth, seventh, 16th and 18th as well as an eagle at the 11th with his only bogey of the day coming at the 10th.

The invidivial winner of the European Universities Golf Championships in Switzerland earlier this year and a marthplay expert having reached the quarter-finals of the North of Ireland Open Championship and Spanish Amateur Championship 

“I’m delighted to play in this championship,” Dawson told the Argentinian Golf Association website. 

Robin Dawson with the Kenneth Gordon Davis Cup

Full of praise for the course, Dawson added: “I’m ready for the matchplay. Since I’ve been here in Argentina they have treated me very well.”

Dawson’s wing man on this occasion is the seemingly quiet but ravenously competitive Portmarnock man Lenehan, who was pleased to add an immaculate, five under 65 to his opening 35 and shoot 100 to tie for second with the Australian Cameron John and the Canadian Eric Banks, the latter a winner of the Copa Juan Carlos Tailhade last week.

Matchplay Draw

Dawson now takes on Alfonso Viegas Neves of Portugal while Lenehan squares up the Brazilian Daniel Ishii with an all-Irish quarter-final on the radar.

Paul Dunne, accompanied by a representative from his management company (centre left), walks off the 18th at PGA Catalunya Resort's Stadium Course towards the recorders hut following his three under 69 in the fifth round of Q-School, 18 November 2015.

Paul Dunne shrugged off some “ropey” swings to caress his European Tour card and a dream finish to a magical year at the Qualifying School in Spain.

The Greystones ace (22), dug deep to card a bogey-free, three under 69 in the fifth round of the gruelling Final Stage to jump six places to tied 12th in the race to finish among the top 25 and ties ahead of today’s final round on the tough Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya Resort.

Even though he’s contemplating semi-retirement, Kells grinder Damien McGrane (44) is also in position to win back his card after a trademark 72 left him tied 18th on eight under

“I am delighted with the 69 considering how I played,” said Dunne, who hit a five-iron to two feet at the 208-yard fifth and two putted from the fringes of the seventh and 12th for birdie fours to end the day seven strokes off the lead on 10 under par.

“I hit a lot of ropey shots out there so to keep a bogey off the card was a goal of mine and I was happy to do that.”

Dunne insists he’s feeling no pressure but after some loose swings on the last few holes he admitted he’s keen to get home and rest before contemplating the possibility of playing two 2016 season events in South Africa and Australia before Christmas if he wins his card today (Thurs). 

“It’s been a really long year but I am enjoying the week and looking forward to getting back to my bed,” add Dunne, who will partner Swedish amateur Marcus Kinhult (19) and Italian Francesco Laporta in the sixth and final round.

Pinching himself after a dream season that saw him lead The Open through 54 holes and win the Walker Cup with four Irish team mates by his side, Dunne said: “A year ago my main goal was to get through Q-School, so everything that has happened in the meantime has been a nice bonus and I have tried to take it in my stride as well as I can. 

“It is beyond what I would have pictured at the start of the year but I am not going to step back from any opportunities that arise. It’s been a great year but it is not finished yet. I have  a few weeks left.” 

McGrane admitted he “got bitten in the a**e” at the par-three fifth, where he made a double bogey after finding the water, just 24 hours after chipping in there for birdie.

“I can’t complain, it probably evened itself out,” McGrane said of his day.

His aggression on the greens cost him a brace of three-putt bogeys, but he also had four birdies and remains in position to win back his card as he fell just four spots to tied 18th on eight under par, one shot inside the crucial top 25 and ties.

Newcastle, Co Down based Simon Thornton and Mount Juliet’s Kevin Phelan had no luck on the greens and appear to have definitively kissed their chances goodbye after rounds of 74 and 75 respectively saw them fall back to 68th on level par.

Phelan made three birdies but a couple of his six bogeys came from sloppy three putts and he was on the practice green long after his round.

Thornton played well but lost a ball on his approach to the par-five 12th and found it after the five minutes had elapsed, just a few yards from the spotter, on the edge of the rough.

A bogey there and a double bogey at the 14th left him playing catch up and while he got two shots back before the turn, he dropped another shot and made nothing on the greens, though he hit the ball well and struck solid putts. 

At the top of the leaderboard, former European Tour winner Ross McGowan (64) and American Daniel Im (66) lead by three strokes on 17 under par from South Africans Ulrich Van Den Berg (69) and Jean Hugo (72) and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui (71).

Ross McGowan. Picture by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

The European Tour writes:

McGowan enjoyed four successful years on The European Tour, finishing 12th in The 2009 Race to Dubai, before losing his card after the 2011 season, and his bogey-free round – which included a miraculous recovery shot from a path on the 17th – means he can dare to dream of the big time once again.

“I was frustrated yesterday when I shot 73,” said the 33 year old. “I didn’t hit the ball very well tee to green but fortunately holed a few putts, and today I really focused on finding the fairways and finding the greens and just let it happen.

“I hit a couple close on 14 and 15, a couple of five irons in there to probably less than six feet combined, so that makes it quite nice when you can go birdie-eagle and just separate yourself a bit.

“I think I’m drawing on my past experience from 2007 through 2011 when I had my European Tour card. The last few years I’ve had several injuries and that’s been frustrating but the last four or five weeks the game’s been there and I’ve been playing nicely.

“It would mean a lot to be back on The European Tour. It’s been tough these last few years. I’ve not really thought of giving up but it’s just frustrating, not really playing that great, having injuries and lay-offs, trying to come back and just trying to motivate yourself every time you turn up at a tournament, it’s pretty tough.

“It would mean a lot to get back out there and start competing with the top guys and try to get myself back up to where I was and hopefully surpass it in the World Rankings.”

Im came into the week on the back of the disappointment of missing out on a European Tour card through the European Challenge Tour, dropping out of the top 15 of the Road to Oman Rankings on the final day of the season at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.

The 30 year old is yet to enjoy full playing status on The European Tour but today’s round, featuring six birdies and an eagle, has put him in a strong position with 18 holes to play.

“I’m hitting it really well,” said the Californian. “It’s quite a bit of a ball-striking course, you just have to put yourself in position to have a birdie putt, the greens are quite soft so it’s quite easy to hit it close to the hole and I’ve been pretty lucky with that this week.

“Passive-aggressive is the word I like to use in a situation like this. The Stadium is a tough course – today I felt like I couldn’t miss a shot and ended up making a double on 13, and it could happen like that. You really have to be focused and make sure you execute your shots.

“This will be a huge gift to finish the year and start a new year. It would mean a lot because one year I played with a conditional status and I didn’t get into very big events.

“I played quite well but I wasn’t really close to keeping my card with that limited amount of tournaments and hopefully finishing high here will give me a good position on a category where I could play and get into some big events.”

Notable moves on the penultimate day came from Australian Jason Scrivener, whose fine 67 moved him to 11 under par, and Englishman Richard McEvoy, whose bogey-free 68 took him inside the top 25 by one shot.

His compatriot Matthew Southgate, meanwhile, matched him with a round of four under par as he seeks to close out a difficult year, during which he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, with a fairytale return to The European Tour.

Ireland’s Paul Dunne – familiar to millions after leading The Open Championship this year as an amateur heading into the final round – had a tidy round of 69 to finish on ten under par and within sight of a maiden season on The Race to Dubai.

Among those with work to do in the final round is Italian Edoardo Molinari, the former Ryder Cup star currently on four under par and in need of a big move if he wants to extend his six-year stay on The European Tour.

European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, PGA Catalunya Resort (Tour Course, Par 70; Stadium Course, Par 72), Girona

After 90 holes (5th round of 6)

339 D Im (USA) 70 68 65 70 66; R McGowan(Eng) 69 69 64 73 64;

342 A Otaegui(Esp) 74 63 62 72 71; U Van Den Berg(RSA) 72 64 66 71 69; J Hugo(RSA) 65 71 67 67 72;

343 C Hanson (Eng) 70 63 66 71 73;

344 M Southgate (Eng) 72 66 68 70 68; J Knutzon (USA) 67 68 66 72 71; 

345 D Gavins (Eng) 71 65 66 68 75; J Scrivener (Aus) 65 72 70 71 67; N Bertasio (Ita) 71 68 66 71 69; 

346 L Canter (Eng) 67 69 68 74 68; P Dunne (Irl) 71 68 70 68 69; M Kinhult (am) (Swe) 66 67 65 76 72; 

347 F Laporta (Ita) 69 68 67 74 69; L Jensen (Den) 70 66 67 72 72; C Costilla (Arg) 68 71 68 68 72; 

348 R McEvoy (Eng) 66 74 69 71 68; J Robinson (Eng) 72 69 64 71 72; D McGrane (Irl) 71 68 66 71 72; N Ravano (Ita) 75 65 65 72 71; G King (Eng) 64 72 64 74 74; D Papadatos (Aus) 67 70 65 76 70; 

349 R Finch (Eng) 69 66 70 73 71; M Palmer (RSA) 63 71 68 75 72; P Oriol (Esp) 70 73 69 69 68; D Dixon (Eng) 72 68 64 71 74; W Besseling(Ned) 68 71 68 72 70; C Berardo (Fra) 76 64 63 77 69; D Gaunt (Aus) 68 74 69 70 68; 

350 N Cullen (Aus) 61 73 66 78 72; L Nemecz (Aut) 67 65 66 80 72; J Loughrey (Eng) 72 72 69 69 68; J Walters (RSA) 68 73 69 73 67; J Guerrier(Fra) 69 70 66 72 73; 

351 J Hahn (USA) 71 74 69 68 69; H Joannes(Bel) 66 70 68 73 74; R Evans(Eng) 67 72 70 73 69; D Law (Sco) 67 72 68 72 72; F Fritsch(Ger) 68 69 66 75 73; J White (Eng) 68 74 73 67 69; 

352 M Foster (Eng) 71 68 67 73 73; S Manley (Wal) 66 74 69 74 69; R Saxton (Ned) 74 72 71 66 69; H Porteous (RSA) 65 72 74 68 73; P Shields (Sco) 67 70 68 77 70; E Molinari(Ita) 66 77 71 68 70;

353 S Soderberg (Swe) 74 69 73 67 70; M Jonzon (Swe) 68 70 65 74 76; P Widegren(Swe) 71 73 72 67 70; C Sordet(Fra) 71 66 64 77 75; R Fox (Nzl) 68 77 71 64 73; A Karlsson(Swe) 67 73 69 73 71; D Lloyd (RSA) 64 74 69 76 70; F Bergamaschi (Ita) 67 65 75 75 71;

354 S Arnold(Aus) 70 71 69 71 73; C Ford (Eng) 71 71 73 67 72; A Hartø(Den) 72 68 68 74 72; P Whiteford (Sco) 74 70 67 68 75; K Ferrie (Eng) 70 69 64 77 74; J Lima(Por) 74 70 72 66 72;

355 E Goya (Arg) 73 63 69 73 77; M Delpodio(Ita) 72 67 69 73 74; P Hedblom (Swe) 69 74 73 67 72; M Nixon (Eng) 72 76 68 67 72; D Foos (Ger) 74 70 69 68 74; L Gagli(Ita) 71 71 72 68 73;

356 G Axell (Swe) 74 68 75 66 73; S Thornton (Irl) 71 67 73 71 74; M Pavon (Fra) 67 68 71 74 76; K Phelan (Irl) 70 72 66 73 75; D Burmester (RSA) 74 67 69 71 75; 

357 D Bransdon (Aus) 72 71 72 67 75; M Lafeber (Ned) 74 66 65 78 74; S Fernandez (am) (Esp) 64 72 67 79 75;

358 J Dantorp (Swe) 66 71 71 75 75;

359 P Howard(Eng) 73 67 68 75 76; 

363 O Stark (Swe) 77 65 71 70 80.

Jon leader Jean Hugo. Picture: Getty

Damien McGrane hopes he can give himself a get out clause from dishwasher duty after he moved into the card places with two rounds to go the European Tour Qualifying School at PGA Catalunya Resort.

On a day when Greystones’ Paul Dunne found his putting touch and shot a brilliant 68 on the Stadium Course to move up to tied 18th on seven under (three shots outside his target for the week of double digits under par), it’s the dogged 44-year old Meath man who leads the Irish challenge even if he’s not all that interested right now.

With Kevin Phelan and Simon Thornton also making the four-round cut, Ireland have four men battling to finish inside the crucial Top 25 over the last two rounds.

But even though McGrane says he is “bored” by tournament golf after losing his card following 13 years on tour, he wants to give himself an employment option next season.

He got away with it a few times but @damienmcgrane also made his own luck. Made par here at 4, chip in birdie at 5. pic.twitter.com/dmH71lNd7a

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) November 17, 2015

“Am I interested? Right now, no,” said McGrane, whose battling 71 left him tied for 14th on eight under, six shots behind English pair Daniel Gavins and Chris Hanson and South Africa’s Jean Hugo. 

“Maybe if I sit at home for the next four or five months in miserable weather, loading and unloading the dishwasher, I might say, Christ, I’d better go back and play golf.

"I am bored playing tournament golf. I have showed that all of this year. And as I said already, if I got a card, it would allow me to play a little bit of golf next year because right nowI have unfortunately lost my interest in playing tournaments. I don’t know what is going to happen.”

McGrane hopes some “great young Irish players” get their cards and Open hero Dunne is now in position after he holing seven putts between five and 30 feet in a five-birdie 68 that moved him to tied 18th on seven under.

In contrast, Kevin Phelan holed almost nothing as he carded a 73 to lie 44th on three under while Simon Thornton shot a one under 71 to make the cut with a shot to spare and regain some tour status after two miserable years.

Undone by an 87 on Sunday, Rosapenna’s Ruaidhri McGee closed with a four under 66 on the Tour Course but missed the one under par cut by seven shots with Headfort’s Brian Casey a shot further back after a one over 71.

T14 Damien McGrane (276 -8, 71 68 66 71)

The Meath grinder produced one of his trademark rounds on the Stadium Course, where he rode his luck at times but avoided disaster, tidied up well and got a few good breaks.

Starting on the 10th, he plugged his drive in a bunker and had to hack out sideways, opening with a bogey. But he then birdied the par-five 12th and 15th and bogeyed the 16th to turn in level before playing the back nine in an adventurous one under.

After a good birdie at the par-five third, he drove left into trees at the short fourth but hacked out right of the green and got up and down from the heavy rough courtesy of a 12 foot putt.

He was even more fortunate at the downhill par-three fifth where anything tugged left finds a pond.

Blinded by the sun, he was hoping to find his tee shot nestling next to the pin but realising he had over-clubbed, he searched for his ball in rough over the green and began to fear it was in the water until Sweden’s Joel Sjolhom found it in a particularly juicy tuft of rough. 

Searching for Damien McGrane's ball at the fifth. He found it and chipped in from behind the green for birdie.

The plus-fourred Swede had problems of his own as he was putting with his wedge after his putter suffered an accident earlier in the round.

What he thought as McGrane proceeded to chip in for a two was not recorded for posterity but Sjoholm ended up putting for birdie with the blade of his wedge on the ninth to make the cut and came up short.

McGrane made bogey at the par-five seventh, where he three putted and he was grateful to two putt the last from 40 feet up a tier to get in with a 71 for eight under.

“I played reasonable today,” he said. "I hit wedges close to the pins and survived. I did a lot of putting from 25 feet. Everyone is going to have to grind here. 

"The guys at the top of the leaderboard are going very well but six rounds around here, you are not going to have it your own way all the. PGA Catalunya is going to bite back at some stage and I rode my luck today.”

One of the most entertaining golfers you will meet, his unique take on his current status in the game will confuse many. But he’s simply saying how he feels about life on the road and his chances of enjoying it going forward should be win back his card.

“I did the best I could each day,” he said of his week so far. "My golf hasn’t been great but I’ve made the most of every opportunity. I have had a few bits of good fortune and turned bogeys into birdies and all fo a sudden I am up there. 

“Targets? I never do targets, just try and survive. If you play well, you can do well. I am more interested in trying to play well and hopefully goals will follow. 

“If I got a good tour card it would give me the option to pay a little bit of golf next year, if I am interested. That’s the only reason I am here.”

McGrane’s interest levels are close to zero right now but he denies speculation that he has a juicy club job lined up.

“Club job? God no. I am not there at the moment. I have to take me time and decide what I want to do and if I have to spend most of next year doing that, so be it. The only reason I am here is to give myself an option.” 

Damien McGrane two putts the ninth, his final hole.

If there’s job satisfaction, it comes from competing, he said. 

“It is nice to compete and you have to be mindful that there are other players here who are starting their career and that’s what a guy like me can appreciate,” McGrane added. 

"There are other guys here and it means an awful lot to them because they are trying to get out on the tour. I have had 13 years in a row, I don’t quite have the same mindset but I would love to see all the young players and a few of the Irish lads, scrape through and maybe get a tour card or if nothing else, maybe get a Challenge Tour card. 

"We have some great young players in Ireland at the moment and they  just need that break because it is very difficult coming here for six rounds. The course is difficult. There is nothing easy about this place. I’d love to see guys survive.”

McGrane sees no viable alternative to Q-School right now with the satellite tours and the Challenge Tour offering too little money. 

“To find a feeder tour where guys can pay their bills and make a living is not possible,” he said. “Okay, a small number of guys made an awful lot of money on the Challenge Tour this year. But the guys  I played with this week said the money is shocking. The Tour School systems has worked for a long long time. If there was better money on the Challenge Tour, the Challenge Tour system would be the way forward.”

T18 Paul Dunne (277 -7, 71 68 70 68)The Greystones man finally found his putting touch, holing putts all over the course with the 15 footer he made for par on the ninth one of his most satisfying of a very good day for the Wicklow man.He moved 37 places up the leaderboard from 55th to tied 18th and having studied the results of Q-School over the past few years, he knows that double digits under par may well be required to get his card.“Every day is just as important as the next,” said Dunne, who had to hole a 10 footer for par at the 10th, his opening hole and continued in that positive vein with the short stick. 

Paul Dunne, white shirt, holed a 30 footer across the fourth green for birdie.

“Obviously as things start to get towards the end a little bit, everything starts to tighten up. But I played lovely today for the most part. I hit it well off the tee bar two or three holes and my putter felt a lot better in my hands from the start this morning and that gave me a lot of confidence to go after flags." If I had a four or five footer to save par, I was quite confident over them. A good day. Hopefully the club will feel like that in my hand for the next couple of days.  “If I can just play steady, hit good tee shots and keep the putter solid and just eliminate mistakes, birdies will come. it is just a matter of when you get in trouble, getting out of it with a par.”Dunne did that at the 10th and also holed a five footer at the 14th for par before two putting the easy 15th for a birdie four to get into the red.He hit a five iron to eight feet at the 195-yard 16th and holed the putt to go two under, holed a 10 footer for par at the 17th but bogeyed the 18th off a poor tee shot to turn in 35.After pars at the first three holes on the back nine, he drained a 30 footer across the green at the fourth to go two under, birdied the sixth thanks to a seven iron to five feet and two-putted the par-five seventh for birdie thanks to a good drive and a three-wood to 20 feet. He then got up and down from 120 yards for par at the last, having driven into sand. “I am just going to try and keep picking my targets and hitting shots,” he said. “Knock off the pars as much s I can. "It would be great to get my card. it would be a great end to what has been quite a memorable year so far. But having said that, if you don’t get your card it is a big difference in next year in planning your schedule whether you get your card this week or not.”Having finished 168th in the Race to Dubai from just three starts, Dunne has Challenge Tour status and is playing for a Top 25 spot or nothing, effectively."It would obviously be great and it’s what I have been striving for for the last while but it is just two days of golf. Hopefully I can play well and if I do, it will take care of itself. “I already have a Challenge Tour card from where I finished the Race to Dubai.  Making the cut outside the Top 25 makes no difference to me I am just chasing the 25.”As for his putting and his habit of letting his arms hang naturally before he grips the putter, he explained: “I have been working on trying to get the alignment better on my forearms over my putts. It’s something I needed to do. “My right arm was get a bit ahead of my left arm and causing me to take the putter back a little on the inside. So I’ve been working on it and trying to do it the last while and it gave me more confidence. Hopefully I can do it again tomorrow, but you never know.”Dunne headed to the range to work in his game and he’s clear about what he wants to do this week“If I can get into double digits (under par) I will be safe,” he said. “My goal was 69 today and I shot 68. I’ll try to shoot 69 again tomorrow.” 

He holed nothing but @KPhelanDeise had the short game magic turned up to 11 today. #parsaver pic.twitter.com/Lsu7mhDTuO

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) November 17, 2015 T44 Kevin Phelan (281, -3 70 72 66 73)

The Mount Juliet touring professional played very well from tee to green for the most part but one bogey and 17 pars told the story of his day on the greens.

Indeed, had he not be so clinical with his chipping and bunker play, he’d have missed the cut which would have been tough but would not have meant much in the greater scheme of things as he had an excellent category for 2016 and will get more than 20 starts on the main tour.

“I either hit really good irons shots or really bad ones,” Phelan said. “When I hit the bad ones I got up and down. I had one bogey that was when a tee shot got struck behind a tree on 13. I had some really good up and downs — from a bunker on 14 and on 16, 17 and 18. 

“I had birdie birdie chances on pretty much everything on my back nine, par the fifth, where I was just off the green. On the last five or six holes I had chances on pretty much all of them, hit good putts and didn’t seem to hole anything.” 

“The one of the last from 30 feet there just shaved the edge. But I had plenty of chances and the game feels good so I can’t complain that much. It could have been better but it also could have been a lot worse.”

On his position in the tournament, he said: "I haven’t looked at the leaderboard all week. I am just trying to go as low as I can. A coupe of good rounds will do it so I will give it everything. Give it socks.”

Nice swing by @KPhelanDeise on 16 yesterday. Moving day @ETQSchool today pic.twitter.com/khURCNHpvv

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) November 18, 2015 T51 Simon Thornton (282 -2, 71 67 73 71)After playing 36 holes on the Tour Course in level par, Simon Thornton’s patience levels were at a low ebb heading out on the Stadium Course on Tuesday. With no category for 2016 despite his win in St Omer in 2013, it was a huge day for the 38-year old adopted Irishman.Like McGrane, he has no massive desire to put himself through the tour meat grinder again but he wants to give himself the option of being able to pick and choose his schedule and yesterday’s one under 71 was a model of professionalism.Early birdies at the second and third steadied his nerves and while he followed a great bunker save from the back trap at the fourth and a regulation bogey at the tough fifth with a birdie at the sixth and a bogey at the ninth to turn in one under.He need to play the back nine well to survive and did just that, parring  his way home to make the cut with one stroke to spare.“I’m in the battle still,” he said, clearly relieved. “The last time I got my card (in 2011)  I just scraped in for the last two rounds as well so let’s see. "It was important for me to make the cut because I had no category. Two years ago you win on the main tour and everything it rosy. Then all of a sudden, you have no category. That’s  just golf. Ups and down. “I kept telling myself, ‘it’s not important’, but obviously it was important. At least I can say, ‘Right, if I want to carry on playing I can play.’ It’s a monkey off the back, I suppose.”Thornton hopes he will be freed up now and can attack the course, sensibly, over the last two days.Pulling his own bag, he’s deliberately tried to simply the game recently and it’s paid dividends with his win in the new North of Ireland event at Downpatrick restoring some self belief.“Whatever happens now, happens now. But I can play with a bit more freedom. You don’t have to hit it in the middle of the green all day long. You can shape it a bit more and be sensibly aggressive.”As for the rest, the European Tour reports:

The European Tour dream is still alive for 78 players, including experienced winners such as Maarten Lafeber, Ross McGowan and Edoardo Molinari, after the fourth-round cut fell at Qualifying School Final Stage, where three players share the lead.

South African Jean Hugo joined Englishmen Daniel Gavins and Chris Hanson at the top of the pile on 14 under par two thirds of the way through golf’s greatest marathon. But for those players who made the one under par cut at PGA Catalunya Resort - a European Tour Destination - winning is not the be all and end all.

The top 25 and ties at the end of the gruelling six-round examination will earn their berth in The 2016 Race to Dubai and, with even those on the cut line just five shots off the six under mark that is currently good enough for European Tour promotion, it is all to play for in northern Spain.

Among those inside the top 25 are Swedish amateur star Marcus Kinhult and Irishman Paul Dunne – who shared the third round lead at this year’s Open Championship – as well as former European Tour winners such as Kenneth Ferrie, Peter Hedblom, Lafeber, McGowan, Damien McGrane and Molinari.

Joint leader Hugo is one man who knows all about winning – having claimed 17 victories on the Sunshine Tour – and he believes that he may reap the rewards if he treats the fabled Final Stage as just another tournament.

“I’m quite happy because I’ve played it very well so far,” said the 36 year old from Stellenbosch, who has not yet successfully negotiated Final Stage in eight attempts. “I’m looking forward to the next two rounds.

“If you bring a bit of form in here you can do well. I’ve never really done well at Q-School, but I maybe have a different mind-set to previous years I’ve tried. I’ve been playing very well at home so that helps.

“I’ll try and build on every score day by day, you never know what the other guys are going to do. In the past I’ve tried to get out there too quickly, then you miss by a couple, then you think of the previous year’s cut and the numbers. If you just play according to the conditions you’ll be fine.

“It just fell into place today, I hit a lot of good shots and I’ve got myself in the game. If you try and win this one and then just fall short, you’re still well off with your card for next year, so that’s the aim.

“It’s a lot of pressure on everyone this week and it’s a tough course so you have to deal with it in your own way and try to get out of your own way, play the course as it is.”

Ryan Fox of New Zealand, meanwhile, provided one of the stories of a tense day as he carded a six under 64 – the best of the day – on the Tour Course to climb inside the cut line from four shots outside.

The son of former All Blacks legend Grant, the 28 year old only just missed out on graduation via the European Challenge Tour last week, finishing one spot outside the top 15 of the Road to Oman Rankings at the conclusion of the 2015 season.

“It was great out there today,” he said. “I could sort of feel it coming, there were some signs the first three days and obviously the Tour Course is a bit easier than the Stadium Course. I managed to take advantage of that today and hang around for the next couple of days which is nice.

“I had nothing to lose this week really, I’m playing for top 25 or bust which is quite a nice position to be in – unlike quite a few other guys I’ve still got status for next year, something to fall back on.

“I was more than a little bit disappointed to miss out on that top 15, but I didn’t play well enough those last two weeks in China and Oman.

“I struggled the first couple of days here, mentally especially in the second round, but I kicked myself in the arse today and found something out there and hopefully can take this on for the next couple of days and that 16th place won’t matter too much.”

Other notable movers included Gabriel Axell – one of nine Swedes to make the cut – and Dutchman Reinier Saxton, who both shot four under par rounds of 66 to sneak in on the cut line.

Among those moving in the opposite direction at the worst possible moment were Australian Mark Brown and Joel Sjӧholm of Sweden, both well over par today to miss the cut by one shot, with Daan Huizing of the Netherlands shooting an untimely 79 to drop out of the top 70

European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, PGA Catalunya Resort (Tour Course, Par 70; Stadium Course, Par 72), GironaAfter 72 holes

270 D Gavins (Eng) 71 65 66 68; C Hanson (Eng) 70 63 66 71; J Hugo (RSA) 65 71 67 67; 

271 A Otaegui (Esp) 74 63 62 72; 

273 U Van Den Berg (RSA) 72 64 66 71; D Im (USA) 70 68 65 70; J Knutzon (USA) 67 68 66 72; 

274 G King (Eng) 64 72 64 74; M Kinhult (am) (Swe) 66 67 65 76; 

275 D Dixon (Eng) 72 68 64 71; C Costilla (Arg) 68 71 68 68; L Jensen (Den) 70 66 67 72; R McGowan (Eng) 69 69 64 73; 

276 Damien McGrane (Irl) 71 68 66 71; M Southgate (Eng) 72 66 68 70; N Bertasio (Ita) 71 68 66 71; J Robinson (Eng) 72 69 64 71; 

277 J Guerrier (Fra) 69 70 66 72; M Palmer (RSA) 63 71 68 75; M Jonzon (Swe) 68 70 65 74; H Joannes (Bel) 66 70 68 73; P Dunne (Irl) 71 68 70 68; N Ravano (Ita) 75 65 65 72; 

278 R Finch (Eng) 69 66 70 73; L Canter (Eng) 67 69 68 74; F Fritsch (Ger) 68 69 66 75; J Scrivener (Aus) 65 72 70 71; F Laporta (Ita) 69 68 67 74; N Cullen (Aus) 61 73 66 78; E Goya (Arg) 73 63 69 73; C Sordet (Fra) 71 66 64 77; L Nemecz (Aut) 67 65 66 80; D Papadatos (Aus) 67 70 65 76; 

279 D Law (Sco) 67 72 68 72; H Porteous (RSA) 65 72 74 68; P Whiteford (Sco) 74 70 67 68; M Foster (Eng) 71 68 67 73; W Besseling (Ned) 68 71 68 72; 

280 C Berardo (Fra) 76 64 63 77; R Fox (Nzl) 68 77 71 64; M Pavon (Fra) 67 68 71 74; K Ferrie (Eng) 70 69 64 77; R McEvoy (Eng) 66 74 69 71; 

281 D Foos (Ger) 74 70 69 68; M Delpodio (Ita) 72 67 69 73; S Arnold (Aus) 70 71 69 71; D Burmester (RSA) 74 67 69 71; K Phelan (Irl) 70 72 66 73; D Gaunt (Aus) 68 74 69 70; P Oriol (Esp) 70 73 69 69; 

282 J White (Eng) 68 74 73 67; L Gagli (Ita) 71 71 72 68; J Hahn (USA) 71 74 69 68; A Karlsson (Swe) 67 73 69 73; A Hartø (Den) 72 68 68 74; J Loughrey (Eng) 72 72 69 69; R Evans (Eng) 67 72 70 73; D Bransdon (Aus) 72 71 72 67; P Shields (Sco) 67 70 68 77; E Molinari (Ita) 66 77 71 68; J Lima (Por) 74 70 72 66; C Ford (Eng) 71 71 73 67; S Thornton (Irl) 71 67 73 71; F Bergamaschi (Ita) 67 65 75 75; S Fernandez (am) (Esp) 64 72 67 79; 

283 J Walters (RSA) 68 73 69 73; S Soderberg (Swe) 74 69 73 67; G Axell (Swe) 74 68 75 66; J Dantorp (Swe) 66 71 71 75; P Howard (Eng) 73 67 68 75; D Lloyd (RSA) 64 74 69 76; P Hedblom (Swe) 69 74 73 67; O Stark (Swe) 77 65 71 70; S Manley (Wal) 66 74 69 74; M Lafeber (Ned) 74 66 65 78; R Saxton (Ned) 74 72 71 66; M Nixon (Eng) 72 76 68 67; P Widegren (Swe) 71 73 72 67; 

CUT

284 J Sjöholm (Swe) 72 67 68 77; M Brown (Nzl) 69 72 67 76; D Van Tonder (RSA) 72 70 75 67; F Andersson Hed (Swe) 73 68 71 72; B Ritthammer (Ger) 70 77 72 65; J Smith (Eng) 76 71 72 65; 

285 C Del Moral (Esp) 74 69 72 70; G Green (Mas) 69 70 70 76; C Koerbler (Aut) 73 69 71 72; P Angles (Esp) 63 80 73 69; D Huizing (Ned) 68 72 66 79; J Wrisdale (Eng) 74 72 74 65; P Mejow (Ger) 74 69 74 68; 

286 T Gornik (Slo) 68 72 73 73; B Pettersson (Swe) 73 72 72 69; V Riu (Fra) 74 71 74 67; S Walker (Eng) 68 76 74 68; R Santos (Por) 75 63 74 74; K Samooja (Fin) 66 74 67 79; J Huldahl (Den) 66 80 74 66; J Mullen (Eng) 74 69 75 68; S Hansen (Den) 67 74 67 78; D Kataoka (Jpn) 76 68 73 69; R Johnson (Swe) 71 70 68 77; S Henry (Sco) 71 69 70 76; A Chesters (Eng) 73 69 74 70; 

287 S Brown (Eng) 73 71 71 72; R Kellett (Sco) 75 65 70 77; B Hafthorsson (Isl) 74 72 73 68; J Sarasti (Esp) 69 68 70 80; J Doherty (Sco) 69 73 75 70; M Wallace (Eng) 71 76 72 68; A Tadini (Ita) 73 71 72 71; R Coles (Eng) 72 68 74 73; R Gonzalez (Arg) 79 68 72 68; J Lara (Esp) 71 71 71 74; 

288 J Higginbottom (Aus) 75 74 72 67; A Saddier (Fra) 73 71 76 68; B Neil (Sco) 73 69 76 70; O Henningsson (Swe) 73 67 72 76; J Senior (Eng) 74 68 74 72; R Roussel (am) (Fra) 70 72 74 72; 

289 M Crespi (Ita) 74 67 71 77; J Rutherford (Eng) 71 71 77 70; J Edfors (Swe) 76 69 79 65; 

290 T Murray (Eng) 69 72 69 80; A Wejshag (Swe) 71 75 74 70; M Lundberg (Swe) 75 68 79 68; C Blomstrand (Swe) 75 73 73 69; R McGee (Irl) 64 87 73 66; 

291 D Vancsik (Arg) 70 77 76 68; D Woltman (USA) 76 72 74 69; C Pigem (Esp) 70 75 75 71; M Welch (USA) 75 73 71 72; J Sandelin (Swe) 71 71 72 77; B Casey (Irl) 76 69 75 71; 

292 F Mruzek (Cze) 68 71 73 80; S Jeppesen (Swe) 78 71 71 72; K Eriksson (Swe) 68 83 73 68; T Sinnott (Aus) 82 68 70 72; 

295 P Martin Benavides (Esp) 74 76 74 71; J Lucquin (Fra) 72 77 76 70; M Wiegele (Aut) 69 75 80 71;

296 P Tarver-Jones (Eng) 74 75 76 71; C Feldborg Nielsen (Swe) 72 78 76 70; N Dougherty (Eng) 76 74 75 71; 

297 M Laskey (Wal) 72 74 76 75; N Lemke (Swe) 76 70 76 75; 

298 E Cuartero Blanco (Esp) 74 80 78 66; 

301 G Piris Mateu (Esp) 70 77 80 74; 

302 J Cafourek (Cze) 69 77 75 81; A Murdaca (Aus) 72 74 81 75; 

DQ/WD M Orrin (Eng) 76 66 79 WD; N Holman (Aus) 70 72 78 WD; P Lawrie (Irl) 76 69 DQ; E Kofstad (Nor) 67 78 WD; G Murray (Sco) 76 70 WD; M Søgaard (Den) 70 78 WD.

The European Tour today unveiled a new look Final Series as part of The 2016 Race to Dubai, with the Nedbank Golf Challenge forming part of a revamped three-tournament end of season swing. 

Since its inception in 2013, the Final Series has comprised four tournaments, but from next year the WGC-HSBC Champions will no longer be included, with the tournament instead joining the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship as part of the regular Race to Dubai season. 

That move means the 2016 Final Series will begin with the $7million Turkish Airlines Open from November 3-6 followed by the $7million Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, in South Africa, from November 10-13, before The Race to Dubai once again concludes with the $8million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, from November 17-20. 

The global schedule for the eighth edition of the season-long Race to Dubai was announced at a press conference at Jumeriah Golf Estates on the eve of this year’s DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. 

It consists of 45 tournaments in 25 different countries, with EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM (January 14-17), the Olympic Games (August 11-14) and The Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National (September 30-October 2) all adding to the drama on the world stage in 2016. 

The Australian PGA Championship, which takes place from December 3-6, 2015, and the inaugural Maybank Championship Malaysia (February 18-21) both feature on The Race to Dubai for the first time, while the Perth International (February 25-28) returns having last been played in 2014. 

The 2016 Race to Dubai begins next week, November 26-29, with the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which is one of six events on South African soil, with the Nedbank Golf Challenge featuring twice, first as part of initial sector, from December 3-6, 2015, and again as part of the Final Series for the first time. 

For the second consecutive year, Ernie Els will host the South African Open Championship (January 7-10), the first tournament of the 2016 calendar year, with the four-time Major Champion one of four players to perform the role of tournament host on The 2016 Race to Dubai; along with Rory McIlroy, who takes the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation to The K Club (May 19-22), Paul Lawrie who will return to Murcar Golf Club in Aberdeen for the second staging of the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play (August 4-7), and Luke Donald, who has selected The Grove as the venue for the British Masters supported by Sky Sports (October 13-16). 

Those latter three tournaments are part of stretch of 17 consecutive ‘regular’ European Tour events on European soil from May to October – outside the American majors – a run which includes the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club (May 26-29), the centenary edition of the Alstom Open de France (June 30-July 3) and Made in Denmark, which marks the end of the Ryder Cup qualification race, from August 25-28.

Click here for full Schedule

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “We are delighted to announce the new-look Final Series as part of The 2016 Race to Dubai. The inclusion of the Nedbank Golf Challenge means we can look forward to visiting Turkey, South Africa and Dubai in an exciting end to the season, with our players competing for $22million across these three events. 

“The Final Series will bring the curtain down on another strong Race to Dubai schedule in which The European Tour will visit 26 different countries around the world. Europe continues to underpin The Race to Dubai, with 20 tournaments in total on European soil, but undoubtedly the strength of our relationships with the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia are also key components in creating a Race to Dubai with a truly global footprint. 

“While the Olympic Games in August provided certain challenges in terms of overall scheduling, we nevertheless look forward to golf’s return to the Games in Rio in August as yet another reason to view the new season with excitement.

“With the second staging of the EurAsia Cup in January and Europe’s defence of The Ryder Cup at the end of September also adding to the drama, the 2016 season promises to be a memorable year in terms of team golf as well as in the individual arena for our members.” 

Lukas Nemecz looks good at Q School's halfway point. Picture: Getty Images

Peter Lawrie kept his pencil in his pocket yet drew line under his season when he refused to sign his card and disqualified himself from the Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School at PGA Catalunya Resort.

At 10 over for the tournament through 11 holes of the third round, his race was run long before he mistakenly took what he described as an incorrect drop from a tree that wasn’t physically attached to the stake next to it on the par-five 12th.

He might have recorded an 86 if he had signed the card, but the 41-year old Dubliner, who finished 124th in the Race to Dubai this year on the back of 17 invitations, was already thinking ahead to 2016 and his chances of regaining his full playing rights from a lesser category.

“I won’t give up,” said Lawrie, who expects to get around 22 starts next season. “I have never been a giver-upper, so I will carry on and I will play next year though apart from the Irish Open, I won’t be seeking invites. I have had my fair share and it’s time for somebody else to get them.”

The will to go on is fading in Lawrie, who admits that it’s “the potential golden egg” or the big pay day that fuels his desire.

“It’s like anything,” Lawrie said. “Do you enjoy a job that is not giving you something back? The big problem is the potential golden egg. But sometimes you have to look at the expense account and weigh one up against the other.

“So I’ll play whatever I can get into next year. That’s the plan. From there, we will wait and see.”

A little taste of @PeterLawrieGolf at @ETQSchool yesterday. At +3, needs a low round at the Stadium today. pic.twitter.com/t4jhgiWMkP

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) November 16, 2015

Damien McGrane feels the same way and at 44, he knows he will struggle to compete with young guns like Swedish amateur Marcus Kinhult or Austrian Lukas Nemecz, who shot rounds of 65 and 66 respectively on the Tour Course yesterday to lead the field by a stroke on 14 under par.

McGrane said he had to “grind” hard to shoot a four under 66 on the shorter course and at seven under par, he’s still a shot outside the top 25 and ties who will be awarded tour cards on Thursday night. 

“It is a reasonable position,” the Kells grinder said. “I’m grinding but that’s just the way it has to be this week. It’s in the nature of it.”

Mount Juliet’s Kevin Phelan was pleased to finally convert his chances, coming home in five under 30 for a 66 on the Tour Course that catapulted him from 76th to tied 48th on four under.

Paul Dunne’s mediocre, level par 70 there dropped him from 36th to tied 55th on three under, five strokes outside the magic number, but he’s hoping that he can move up considerably over the last three days on the tougher Stadium Course.

“It’s disappointing but I didn’t do anything well,” Dunne said. “I drove it badly and hit a lot of bad irons shots. But there are three more days, hopefully I can do a bit better on the tougher course.”

At three under, Dunne is just one strokes inside the top 70 and ties who make the four round cut on Tuesday night.

Can you spot @dunners11 here in the woods? pic.twitter.com/3VWAPaWwP1

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) November 16, 2015

But while Simon Thornton is one outside the mark on one under after a three over 73 on the Tour Course, Headfort’s Brian Casey and Rosapenna’s Ruaidhri McGee are preparing to pack their bags at six over and 10 over respectively.

“It was definitely better than yesterday,” joked McGee, who recovered from his nightmarish 87 on the Stadium Course on Sunday with a 73 as Casey shot a three over 75. 

“One over not playing well, I did okay to scrape it round. Hopefully I wont’ have to go back to that course again — unless it is for the Spanish Open or the Ryder Cup.”

The European Tour adds:

Nemecz retained the lead but was joined at the top of the leaderboard on 14 under par by teenager Marcus Kinhult at the halfway point of this six round marathon.With the top half of the field playing the less challenging Tour Course at PGA Catalunya Resort – a European Tour Destination – the leading players took advantage of perfect scoring conditions in the third round, with 84 players now at par or better for the week.Austrian Nemecz made an early move, four birdies in his first seven holes stretching his lead before a double-bogey on the 18th hole, his ninth, brought him back in range of the chasing pack.
The 26 year old found two more birdies coming home to shoot a four under par round of 66 but he admitted he is surprised by his lofty position in Girona.“I’m very happy, I couldn’t have expected that,” he said. “I didn’t play very well this season but I know that I’m playing very well now so it makes it fun. I’m enjoying playing, and it’s really good to be there right now.“I always used to have a good long game and was struggling with that a bit this year, so I had to do some technical things this summer which is not great to have to do in the middle of the season. It looks like it’s starting to pay off now though.“Tomorrow will definitely be more difficult but I don’t think that the Tour Course is that easy, you still have to make a lot of good shots and I like the course. I hit two bad shots today and went out of bounds but the rest was really good.“It’s nice to be leading now but there are still three more rounds and there is so far to go that I don’t really even think about it. You have to think about playing under par and then see what happens after 108 holes.“Our coach has rented a house so there are eight of us there and it’s great fun, doing some cooking and talking, so it’s good to get off the golf course and have fun.I It’s very important to be able to do that to save energy over all these days – we’ve played three rounds but there are still three more to go so it will definitely be challenging.”His playing partner Kinhult – still an amateur – was also pleased with his bogey-free third round of 65 that has put him in a strong position with 54 holes still to play.“It was good today,” said the 19 year old Swede. “I struck it pretty good today tee to green and didn’t miss many greens so it was really solid. I left a few out there on the greens, missed a few putts, but I’m happy with a good score.“It would mean a lot to get a European Tour card, obviously, but we’re only halfway through so it’s a long way to go, but it’s a good start and it’s going to be three nice rounds on the Stadium Course, hopefully, and I’m looking forward to it.“I try not to change my mindset. I just need to stick to the gameplan, hit fairways and greens and hopefully make a few putts.”One shot behind the leading duo are Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, who had the low round of the day with an eight under par 62, and England’s Chris Hanson, with Hanson’s compatriot Gary King one shot further back alongside Australian Nick Cullen.Frenchman Clément Sordet briefly raised hopes of a round of 59 or better when he went out in just 28 strokes but faltered slightly coming in to shoot a six under par 64 and sit alongside American Jason Knutzon on 11 under par.Of the players on the Stadium Course, traditionally seen as slightly tougher than the Tour Course, it was Scotland’s Peter Whiteford who caught the eye, a five under par round of 67 taking him to three under par overall.Tomorrow the field swaps courses for the fourth round, after which a cut will see the top 70 and ties make it through to battle it out for two more rounds on the Stadium Course.At the end of the six rounds the top 25 players and ties will earn places on The European Tour for next season.European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, PGA Catalunya Resort (Tour Course, Par 70; Stadium Course, Par 72), GironaAfter 54 holes

198 L Nemecz (Aut) 67 65 66; M Kinhult (am) (Swe) 66 67 65;

199 A Otaegui (Esp) 74 63 62; C Hanson (Eng) 70 63 66;

200 G King (Eng) 64 72 64; N Cullen (Aus) 61 73 66;

201 C Sordet (Fra) 71 66 64; J Knutzon (USA) 67 68 66;

202 D Papadatos (Aus) 67 70 65; R McGowan (Eng) 69 69 64; U Van Den Berg (RSA) 72 64 66; D Gavins (Eng) 71 65 66; M Palmer (RSA) 63 71 68;

203 F Fritsch (Ger) 68 69 66; J Hugo (RSA) 65 71 67; K Ferrie (Eng) 70 69 64; D Im (USA) 70 68 65; C Berardo (Fra) 76 64 63; L Jensen (Den) 70 66 67; M Jonzon (Swe) 68 70 65; S Fernandez (am) (Esp) 64 72 67;

204 H Joannes (Bel) 66 70 68; F Laporta (Ita) 69 68 67; D Dixon (Eng) 72 68 64; L Canter (Eng) 67 69 68;

205 J Guerrier (Fra) 69 70 66; N Ravano (Ita) 75 65 65; R Finch (Eng) 69 66 70; E Goya (Arg) 73 63 69; P Shields (Sco) 67 70 68; J Robinson (Eng) 72 69 64; M Lafeber (Ned) 74 66 65; Damien McGrane (Irl) 71 68 66; N Bertasio (Ita) 71 68 66;

206 M Pavon (Fra) 67 68 71; M Foster (Eng) 71 68 67; D Huizing (Ned) 68 72 66; M Southgate (Eng) 72 66 68;

207 J Sarasti (Esp) 69 68 70; J Sjöholm (Swe) 72 67 68; D Law (Sco) 67 72 68; K Samooja (Fin) 66 74 67; F Bergamaschi (Ita) 67 65 75; J Scrivener (Aus) 65 72 70; W Besseling (Ned) 68 71 68; C Costilla (Arg) 68 71 68; D Lloyd (RSA) 64 74 69;

208 M Brown (Nzl) 69 72 67; A Hartø (Den) 72 68 68; P Howard (Eng) 73 67 68; M Delpodio (Ita) 72 67 69; S Hansen (Den) 67 74 67; J Dantorp (Swe) 66 71 71; Kevin Phelan (Irl) 70 72 66;

209 R Johnson (Swe) 71 70 68; R McEvoy (Eng) 66 74 69; A Karlsson (Swe) 67 73 69; S Manley (Wal) 66 74 69; Paul Dunne (Irl) 71 68 70; G Green (Mas) 69 70 70; R Evans (Eng) 67 72 70;

210 S Arnold (Aus) 70 71 69; S Henry (Sco) 71 69 70; D Burmester (RSA) 74 67 69; T Murray (Eng) 69 72 69; J Walters (RSA) 68 73 69; R Kellett (Sco) 75 65 70;

211 P Whiteford (Sco) 74 70 67; D Gaunt (Aus) 68 74 69; H Porteous (RSA) 65 72 74; Simon Thornton (Irl) 71 67 73;

212 M Crespi (Ita) 74 67 71; F Mruzek (Cze) 68 71 73; R Santos (Por) 75 63 74; F Andersson Hed (Swe) 73 68 71; P Oriol (Esp) 70 73 69; O Henningsson (Swe) 73 67 72;

213 D Foos (Ger) 74 70 69; T Gornik (Slo) 68 72 73; J Loughrey (Eng) 72 72 69; J Lara (Esp) 71 71 71; C Koerbler (Aut) 73 69 71; O Stark (Swe) 77 65 71;

214 E Molinari (Ita) 66 77 71; J Hahn (USA) 71 74 69; J Sandelin (Swe) 71 71 72; L Gagli (Ita) 71 71 72; R Coles (Eng) 72 68 74;

215 C Ford (Eng) 71 71 73; J White (Eng) 68 74 73; C Del Moral (Esp) 74 69 72; S Brown (Eng) 73 71 71; D Bransdon (Aus) 72 71 72;

216 P Angles (Esp) 63 80 73; J Lima (Por) 74 70 72; J Senior (Eng) 74 68 74; R Fox (Nzl) 68 77 71; A Tadini (Ita) 73 71 72; P Widegren (Swe) 71 73 72; P Hedblom (Swe) 69 74 73; S Soderberg (Swe) 74 69 73; A Chesters (Eng) 73 69 74; M Nixon (Eng) 72 76 68; R Roussel (am) (Fra) 70 72 74;

217 B Pettersson (Swe) 73 72 72; R Saxton (Ned) 74 72 71; D Kataoka (Jpn) 76 68 73; P Mejow (Ger) 74 69 74; D Van Tonder (RSA) 72 70 75; G Axell (Swe) 74 68 75; J Doherty (Sco) 69 73 75;

218 B Neil (Sco) 73 69 76; S Walker (Eng) 68 76 74; J Mullen (Eng) 74 69 75;

219 J Smith (Eng) 76 71 72; B Hafthorsson (Isl) 74 72 73; V Riu (Fra) 74 71 74; M Welch (USA) 75 73 71; B Ritthammer (Ger) 70 77 72; M Wallace (Eng) 71 76 72; R Gonzalez (Arg) 79 68 72; J Rutherford (Eng) 71 71 77;

220 Brian Casey (Irl) 76 69 75; A Wejshag (Swe) 71 75 74; J Huldahl (Den) 66 80 74; A Saddier (Fra) 73 71 76; C Pigem (Esp) 70 75 75; S Jeppesen (Swe) 78 71 71; J Wrisdale (Eng) 74 72 74; N Holman (Aus) 70 72 78; T Sinnott (Aus) 82 68 70; 

221 M Orrin (Eng) 76 66 79; J Cafourek (Cze) 69 77 75; C Blomstrand (Swe) 75 73 73; J Higginbottom (Aus) 75 74 72; 

222 M Laskey (Wal) 72 74 76; N Lemke (Swe) 76 70 76; M Lundberg (Swe) 75 68 79; M Søgaard (Den) 70 78 74; D Woltman (USA) 76 72 74;

223 D Vancsik (Arg) 70 77 76; E Kofstad (Nor) 67 78 78; 

224 P Martin Benavides (Esp) 74 76 74; J Edfors (Swe) 76 69 79; K Eriksson (Swe) 68 83 73; Ruaidhri McGee (Irl) 64 87 73; M Wiegele (Aut) 69 75 80;

225 P Tarver-Jones (Eng) 74 75 76; J Lucquin (Fra) 72 77 76; G Murray (Sco) 76 70 79; N Dougherty (Eng) 76 74 75;

226 C Feldborg Nielsen (Swe) 72 78 76;

227 G Piris Mateu (Esp) 70 77 80; A Murdaca (Aus) 72 74 81;

232 E Cuartero Blanco (Esp) 74 80 78; 

DQ Peter Lawrie (Irl) 76 69 DQ.

Graeme McDowell — not to mention is entourage and his entire family — would have forgiven him had he broken into a Mexican hat dance following the playoff winning five iron to two and a half feet that won him the OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

Never mind the $1m cheque, the Masters invitaiton and the tweet of congratulations from Ryder Cup skipper Darren Clarke. As he poised with the trophy, sombrero on head, McDowell beamed the smile that has been sadly missing from his game for more than a year and a half.

It was the smile of a man who got confirmation down the stretch that the stuff he’s been working on with coaches Clive Tucker and Pete Cowen — things that Greg Norman reminded him of in a friendly text message — are the right things.

But it was also the smile of relief from a man who created such a happy place for himself in his life that he lost the hunger made him the street fighter and, as a result, a major-winning star in the first place.

Without that edge, McDowell got rusty and lost his mojo and his confidence. He called it “complacency”, the complaceny that comes with being a Top 50 or Top 25 player with a set schedule and an easy life.

Goals that were once crystal clear suddenly became a little fuzzy and it took almost losing the goose that lays the golden eggs to regain some of that famous McDowell focus again.

“It really gives me something to grab onto,” said the 36-year old, who moved up from 85th to 62nd in the world thanks to his third PGA Tour win. "You go through a year like this you think, ‘am I finished? Am i not good enough?’ You ask yourself all the questions.

“This is the game of golf, it is very difficult, and I have been dreaming of this day and I said to myself I was going to appreciate it when it came. So I am going to appreciate this. This year has been a grind.”

McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, knows this could be one of the key wins in his career.

“This is special,” he said. ““I stuck to my task the last three or four months, I kept grinding. This is a nice step back to where I want to be, I want to be back up there winning more Major championships and winning more tournaments.”

His win came after he was force to take a hard look at himself and the way he was going about his business.

"Get tight, get tight."

Before he even failed to qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, he opted to cut his European Tour season short and play the Mayakoba event and next week’s McGladery Classic to put 2015 behind him and get an early start on the new PGA TOUR season.

“My focus had to go back to basics,” McDowell explained. "I had to start thinking like a guy whose job is on the line. Rather than thinking like a Top 50 or Top 25 in the world player, the way I have done the last four years. There is a certain amount of complaceny that comes with being a Top 25 player. 

"You know your schedule, I haven’t being in this positon in a long time where you are going into a year not knowing what to expect. So I had to strip everyhting back to basics and that’s why I ended up being here. That’s no disrespect to the European Tour or the Ryder Cup or anything I want to acheive in this game. It’s a simple, raw assessment of anything I want to achieve right now and that’s keeping my PGA Tour status. So this came quicker than I expected it.”

Apart from the Masters, McDowell will qualify for the WGC-Cadillac Match Play if he remains inside the world’s top 64 into March. Doral required a victory against a stronger field.

“This ticks a few more boxes that I thought it would — the exemptions, the Masters, maybe a couple of WGCs, I am not sure. This is greatly needed with a Ryder Cup year coming up, an Olympics year, major championships I want to be part of and compete in. This is the real shot in the arm that I needed.”

Tied for the lead with five holes of the final round to compelte from 8am on Monday, McDowell parred the 14th and 15ht, bogeyed the 16th with a sloppy three-putt  but then parred home for a five under 66 that set the target at 18 under par.

It appeared that Scotland’s Russell Knox would edge him out by parring the last for what would have been back to back wins. But the WGC-HSBC champion bogeyed the last and ended up on 18 under par alongside McDowell and Jason Bohn

In the playoff it was McDowell who stepped up on the par-four 18th, hitting a 205-yard five iron that burned the edge of the hole before finishing just over two feet away for what turned out to be a tourmanent winning birdie.

What really helped him win wasn't the five iron or the putt but the wake up call he got with the realisation that he could have ended without a card at the end of next year if he didn't make some changes.

"Being here this week was a result of changing my strategy, changing my focus,” McDowell told reporters after his win. “No disrespect to the European Tour, I had to take my focus off of that for the time being becuase my prioriaty — I basically lost my card in the States this year, though thankfully I had another year exemption.

“But I couldn’t be in this positon this time next year, regardless of whether i am of where I was in the Ryder Cup or regardless of where I was in the Race to Dubai. 

“I am bringing my family up in America. And when it all boils down to it, this is where I want to be employed. Of course, I will remain loyal to the Euroepan Tour always, I want to play Ryder Cups. But there is no doubt that that is priority No 2 for me. Priority No 1 is having a job and having the best paying job available.”

He added; “When I get my focus right, I am a very good player. When I don’t get my focus right, I struggle. This was definitley a result of having my mind in the right place.”

As for the technical gremlins that have held McDowell back, he admitted that the perfect five-iiron he hit at the first playoff hole was a result of hard work on correcting a flaw that Greg Norman had also spotted on TV.

(An example of McDowell's short backswing during practice in the Turkish Airlines Open)

A little taste of @Graeme_McDowell who fancies a little Turkish delight at the @T_A_Golf Open @MaxxRoyal #smooth pic.twitter.com/iduu7MXjF5

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) October 27, 2015

McDowell explained:

“Funny adecdote for you. I got a text message/lesson from Greg Norman on Saturday night. He said he had watched some of the coverage and thought I looked a little short and a little quick. He said to complete my backswing and be a little more relaxed at address. So we had a text back and forward and he gave me a couple of tips. So I really worked hard yesterday and this morning on completing my backswing. And that’s sone thing I have been working on with my coaches as well. So he reminded me of some stuff and he’s one of my big heroes on and off the golf course and it was nice to get some positive reinforcement from the Shark.”

It wasn’t the only tip McDowell got in Mexico. His caddie, Kenny Comboy, gave him a putting tip that resulted in a change in his set up. 

Having struggled with his driver and putter to find himself well down the rankings this year, it was his putter than saved him this week.

“It’s the best putting week I have had all year,” he said, recalling how he holed an eight footer for par on the 72nd hole having blown a 50 footer past the hole in reponse to leaving a putt short and three outting the 16th. “I hit a great putt there.” 

He also had help from Knox – playing for a fifth straight week – who bogeyed the last when he needed a par to win and said: “It was unfortunate to hit a bad drive, since ultimately it cost me the tournament. I’ve just got to hit a good drive, and I’ll definitely have a putt to win the tournament. I just wasn’t able to hit a good one. Hit a great second shot, but I’ve got to get the ball up and down there to win. Because I didn’t, I don’t deserve it.”

As for McDowell's decision to hit five-iron rather than six in the playoff, he explained that it was all down to his caddie, Comboy, who talked him out of it.

“I hit as good a five-iron as I could hit. I wanted to smash a six-iron, he said ‘this is a five-iron shot’,” recalled McDowell

“It’s been a rough year for all the right reasons. I’ve been enjoying life off the golf course with my beautiful family. Golf hasn’t been the priority it should be. But the last three or four months I got back to where I want to be,” said McDowell

“I’ve been dreaming of this day and I said to myself that I was going to appreciate it when it came. So I’m gonna appreciate this one, let me tell you, because this year has been a grind. My whole team, caddie, coaches, managers, my wife, you know. It’s been a tough year.”

Viva G-Mac, as they say down Mexico way.

Graeme McDowell

Graeme McDowell faces a five-hole sprint for what could be a massively important win in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico today.

The Co Antrim man fired six birdies in 13 holes to grab a share of the lead with Scotland's Russell Knox before the final round was suspended until 8am today.

The Rathmore man, 36, chasing his first PGA Tour win since 2013 and hoping to rise as high as 61st in the world after a miserable year saw him fall 60 spots to 85th

Having dropped five shots on the first hole in three rounds, sandwiching a bogey between two doubles, McDowell opened with a par and added three more on a stop-start dat at El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmem.

The fourth round was delayed 3 1/2 hours by thunderstorms that left pools of water across the course but McDowell made three birdies in a row from the seventh to go out in 33 before picking up three more birdies in his last four holes at the 10th, 12th and, crucially, the par five 13th, where he elected to finish when the horn sounded to suspend play because of darkness. 

That helped him join Knox, who was still on the 13th hole, on 19 under, two shot ahead of Jason Bohn, who chipped in for eagle on the fifth hole for an early lead but dropped two shots and was at 17 under through 12 holes.

The final round was to resume at 8 a.m. today, making it the first time in 10 years that back-to-back PGA TOUR events finished on Monday because of rain. 

The Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi had a marathon finish last Monday because of the weather.

With soft conditions, there figures to be little room for error when Mayakoba ends on Monday.

Scott Brown (through 14 holes) and Derek Fathauer (12 holes) were four shots behind. 

Fathauer, trying to make it six straight PGA TOUR events with a first-time winner, had a one-shot lead starting the final round but had only one birdie against two bogeys to fall back.

Knox is coming off his first win last week in Shanghai at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, and he was so exhausted that he considered pulling out this week. Instead, he continued his around-the-world journey to Mexico. He can become the first player since Camilo Villegas in 2008 to win his first two TOUR titles in successive weeks.

The 30-year-old from Scotland ran off four straight birdies starting at No. 3, and then stuffed his approach just short of the pin on the par-3 eighth and went out in 31. He picked up his sixth birdie on the 11th hole.

Along with three straight birdies on the front nine, McDowell parred the opening hole at El Camaleon. He had played the first in 5 over through three rounds -- two double bogeys and a bogey. This time, he hit 3-wood off the tee.

Justin Leonard, Patrick Rodgers and Freddie Jacobson, and PGA TOUR rookie Harold Varner III were at 13 under, six shots behind.

Ruaidhri McGee

Nowhere were the twin imposters of success and failure more in evidence than at the Final Stage of the Qualifying School where Rosapenna’s Ruaidhri McGee followed his glorious opening 64 with a nightmarish 87 to all but kiss his European Tour hopes goodbye.

The 24-year old touring professional for Rosapenna was tied fourth overnight and on a high after opening his account with an immaculate, six under round on the easier Tour Course at PGA Catalunya Resort .

The plaudits poured in on social media but he found the tight and muscular Stadium Course a far tougher prospect and having dropped three shots to the turn, he collapsed on the back nine, coming home 12 over 48 for a 15 over 87 that was his worst score as a professional by six shots.

“What can you say, except sh*t,” ventured a crestfallen McGee, whose world fell apart when he followed a bogey six at the 12th with two visits to the lake en route to a quintuple bogey nine (three-putt included) at the downhill, water-protected, 425-yard 13th. 

“Such is life,” sighed the affable, six feet four inch, gentle giant from Derry, who followed the nine with double bogeys at the 15th and 16th and bogeys at the last two. “Unfortunately, there is nobody to blame but myself.”

His 87 was also the worst score of the day by three stokes and relegated him for fourth to tied 154th in the 156-man field on nine over par.

With the top 25 and ties earning full European Tour cards after six rounds, McGee is 14 strokes outside the card places and 10 shots outside the Top 70 and ties who make the 72-hole cut tomorrow (Tues), meaning he’s likely to be playing Challenge Tour golf again next season.

The other six Irishman in action at PGA Catalunya still have their options intact to a greater or lesser degree with some of the veterans confessing that lack of motivation is their biggest challenge.

“Everyone gets sick of their job and doesn’t want to do it and I went through that,” said 38-year old Simon Thornton, who shot a three under 67 at the Tour Course to lead the Irish challenge in joint 29th on four under par 138.

Six shots behind paces setters Filippo Bergamaschi of Italy and Lukas Nemecz of Austria, who both shot five under 65s on the shorter course to get to 10 under, Thornton has been battling his lack of desire as much as a niggling case of tennis elbow 

“Being away from family is the part you hate,” said father of two Thornton, who’s played just 15 times this year. “I still love competing. But I went through a phase when I hated being away and I hated golf. Now I just hate being away. I still love golf.”

He didn't hole much but 71-68 is a decent start to Q-School for @dunners11 T35 right now. pic.twitter.com/PPWw6uaSKx

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) November 15, 2015

Greystones’ Paul Dunne hit 16 greens in regulation but holed nothing and had to get up and down brilliantly for par at his final hole for a two under 68 to remain two shots outside the magic number in joint 29th on three under alongside Damien McGrane, who had an eagle three, four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in an adventurous 68 on the same course

The 44-year old Kells man feels outmatched by the young guns on Tour these days and says that while he has no interest in remaining on the circuit after losing his card this year, he still wants to give himself options for 2016.

“If it happens and if I have a desire next year to play, I’d love to have an option,” McGrane said. “But right now, I have no interest in playing. 

"We all have a lifespan and once you get older and the golf is not as good as it used to be, you have to work an awful lot harder. And when you get older, it is very hard to work harder. You want to work less.”

As for the rest of the Irish, Kevin Phelan “played well” for a 72 on the Stadium Course but lies 76th on level par while Headfort’s Brian Casey and veteran Peter Lawrie shot 69s on the Tour Course but share 116th on three over.

European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, PGA Catalunya Resort (Tour Course, Par 70; Stadium Course, Par 72), GironaAfter 36 holes

132 F Bergamaschi (Ita) 67 65, L Nemecz (Aut) 67 65, 

133 C Hanson (Eng) 70 63, M Kinhult (am) (Swe) 66 67, 

134 M Palmer (RSA) 63 71, N Cullen (Aus) 61 73, 

135 J Knutzon (USA) 67 68, R Finch (Eng) 69 66, M Pavon (Fra) 67 68, 

136 J Hugo (RSA) 65 71, U Van Den Berg (RSA) 72 64, L Canter (Eng) 67 69, D Gavins (Eng) 71 65, E Goya (Arg) 73 63, H Joannes (Bel) 66 70, L Jensen (Den) 70 66, G King (Eng) 64 72, S Fernandez (am) (Esp) 64 72, 

137 H Porteous (RSA) 65 72, F Fritsch (Ger) 68 69, P Shields (Sco) 67 70, J Sarasti (Esp) 69 68, A Otaegui (Esp) 74 63, F Laporta (Ita) 69 68, J Scrivener (Aus) 65 72, D Papadatos (Aus) 67 70, J Dantorp (Swe) 66 71, C Sordet (Fra) 71 66, 

138 D Im (USA) 70 68, S Thornton (Irl) 71 67, R McGowan (Eng) 69 69, M Southgate (Eng) 72 66, R Santos (Por) 75 63, D Lloyd (RSA) 64 74, M Jonzon (Swe) 68 70, 

139 M Delpodio (Ita) 72 67, J Guerrier (Fra) 69 70, J Sjöholm (Swe) 72 67, R Evans (Eng) 67 72, D Law (Sco) 67 72, K Ferrie (Eng) 70 69, N Bertasio (Ita) 71 68, M Foster (Eng) 71 68, P Dunne (Irl) 71 68, G Green (Mas) 69 70, F Mruzek (Cze) 68 71, C Costilla (Arg) 68 71, W Besseling (Ned) 68 71, D McGrane (Irl) 71 68, 

140 C Berardo (Fra) 76 64, M Lafeber (Ned) 74 66, R McEvoy (Eng) 66 74, D Dixon (Eng) 72 68, R Coles (Eng) 72 68, A Karlsson (Swe) 67 73, A Hartø (Den) 72 68, T Gornik (Slo) 68 72, S Manley (Wal) 66 74, K Samooja (Fin) 66 74, D Huizing (Ned) 68 72, O Henningsson (Swe) 73 67, R Kellett (Sco) 75 65, S Henry (Sco) 71 69, N Ravano (Ita) 75 65, P Howard (Eng) 73 67, 

141 S Hansen (Den) 67 74, M Brown (Nzl) 69 72, R Johnson (Swe) 71 70, J Robinson (Eng) 72 69, F Andersson Hed (Swe) 73 68, S Arnold (Aus) 70 71, T Murray (Eng) 69 72, J Walters (RSA) 68 73, D Burmester (RSA) 74 67, M Crespi (Ita) 74 67, 

142 J Senior (Eng) 74 68, G Axell (Swe) 74 68, D Van Tonder (RSA) 72 70, K Phelan (Irl) 70 72, N Holman (Aus) 70 72, J Sandelin (Swe) 71 71, C Koerbler (Aut) 73 69, J Lara (Esp) 71 71, M Orrin (Eng) 76 66, O Stark (Swe) 77 65, J Doherty (Sco) 69 73, C Ford (Eng) 71 71, J White (Eng) 68 74, J Rutherford (Eng) 71 71, L Gagli (Ita) 71 71, A Chesters (Eng) 73 69, B Neil (Sco) 73 69, D Gaunt (Aus) 68 74, R Roussel (am) (Fra) 70 72, 

143 P Oriol (Esp) 70 73, M Lundberg (Swe) 75 68, C Del Moral (Esp) 74 69, J Mullen (Eng) 74 69, S Soderberg (Swe) 74 69, D Bransdon (Aus) 72 71, P Mejow (Ger) 74 69, P Angles (Esp) 63 80, E Molinari (Ita) 66 77, P Hedblom (Swe) 69 74, 

144 P Widegren (Swe) 71 73, S Walker (Eng) 68 76, J Lima (Por) 74 70, D Kataoka (Jpn) 76 68, D Foos (Ger) 74 70, J Loughrey (Eng) 72 72, A Saddier (Fra) 73 71, M Wiegele (Aut) 69 75, S Brown (Eng) 73 71, A Tadini (Ita) 73 71, P Whiteford (Sco) 74 70, 

145 B Casey (Irl) 76 69, C Pigem (Esp) 70 75, B Pettersson (Swe) 73 72, J Hahn (USA) 71 74, E Kofstad (Nor) 67 78, R Fox (Nzl) 68 77, J Edfors (Swe) 76 69, V Riu (Fra) 74 71, P Lawrie (Irl) 76 69, 

146 J Huldahl (Den) 66 80, A Wejshag (Swe) 71 75, R Saxton (Ned) 74 72, B Hafthorsson (Isl) 74 72, A Murdaca (Aus) 72 74, M Laskey (Wal) 72 74, J Wrisdale (Eng) 74 72, J Cafourek (Cze) 69 77, G Murray (Sco) 76 70, N Lemke (Swe) 76 70, 

147 J Smith (Eng) 76 71, B Ritthammer (Ger) 70 77, M Wallace (Eng) 71 76, R Gonzalez (Arg) 79 68, G Piris Mateu (Esp) 70 77, D Vancsik (Arg) 70 77, 

148 M Nixon (Eng) 72 76, D Woltman (USA) 76 72, M Søgaard (Den) 70 78, C Blomstrand (Swe) 75 73, M Welch (USA) 75 73, 

149 P Tarver-Jones (Eng) 74 75, J Lucquin (Fra) 72 77, J Higginbottom (Aus) 75 74, S Jeppesen (Swe) 78 71, 

150 P Martin Benavides (Esp) 74 76, T Sinnott (Aus) 82 68, C Feldborg Nielsen (Swe) 72 78, N Dougherty (Eng) 76 74, 

151 K Eriksson (Swe) 68 83, R McGee (Irl) 64 87, 

154 E Cuartero Blanco (Esp) 74 80.

Graeme McDowell

If Graeme McDowell fails to come from three shots behind Derek Fathauer to win the OHL Classic at Mayakoba today he may look back at the par-four first as the hole that cost him his first PGA Tour win since 2013.

The 36-year old from Portrush badly needs the win at El Camaleon Golf Cliub in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen to haiul himself from 85th in the world to around 61st.

It’s going to be an uphilll battle now for McDowell, who repeated his start of Thursday when he drove out of bounds at the 438 yard par five and took six.

Added to a bogey there on Friday, McDowell is now five over par for the first hole and 18 under par for the other 53  he’s played having fallen from the overnight lead to tied third behind Fathauer, who shot a five under 66 to his 70 to lead by one from Jason Bohn on 16 under par.

“I’ve got to get past that first hole, which is kind of killing me,” said McDowell, who followed his opening double with a bogey and spent the rest of the round trying to catch up. 

"The game is in really good shape. Apart from two driver swings, I'm really happy with the general progress."

McDowell also hit a drive well right on the par-5 13th that led to a bogey but he holed a 12-footer for birdie on the 17th to post a 70, his fifth birdie of a tough day, and still has a chance of vicotru in his penultimate event of 2015

McDowell went into the third round as the halfway leader following an eight-under-par 63 on Friday, however Saturday could scarcely have started in a more momentum halting fashion, as he carded a double-bogey on the first and followed it with a bogey on the par-4 second hole.

Her steadied quickly and recovered nicely with four birdies over a seven-hole stretch before bogeying the par-five 13th.

However, he will be disappointed that he’s thrown away so many shots on one hole when all his recent problems when in contention on Sundays.

“I’ve had a few knock-backs on back nines on Sundays, but getting to those back nines on Sundays, that’s been the key and that’s been the part that’s missing,” MCDowell said in Turkey a few weeks ago. “So taking the odd hit is not a bad thing really.”

This birdie putt at the 17th could prove to be important for McDowell

McDowell has been too hard on himself for more than a year as his lack of hunger for the game blunted his edge and caused him to lose his ability to really compete

That’s something that has come about simply because he’s become a husband, a father and businessman, has taken is eye off the ball somewaht.

“I am not out there, as I was for most of the year, feeling like I had a gun pointed to my head and it was me pointing the gun,” McDowell said at the Turkish Airlines Open. 

“I put myself under far too much pressure going into the summer because i hadn’t played well and I am not the type of guy who reacts well to that.”

A 70 wasn’t a disaster but he now joins a group of four players, including former British Open champion Justin Leonard (67), sitting three strokes off the lead.

American journeyman Fathauer played flawless golf to grab the first 54-hole lead of his PGA Tour career.

The 29-year-old carded a bogey-free, five-under 66 to move one shot ahead of compatriot Bohn (65).

Fathauer, trying to become the sixth consecutive first-time winner on the PGA Tour, birdied the third, fifth, seventh and ninth holes to reach the turn with a two-stroke lead.

He then reached five-under for the day after a birdie at the par-five 13th.

Bohn was cruising along with four birdies on his front nine and then followed a birdie at the 12th with an eagle at the par-five 13th before a lightning delay halted play for about 90 minutes.

He would have had a share of the lead going into the final round if not for a bogey at the 18th.

Bohn was the 54-hole leader at Mayakoba a year ago until closing with a 74.

"I don't want to do what I did last year on Sunday," Bohn said. "The only thing I can draw on is how I've been playing. I've got to embrace it, have fun and realize where I am. If I give myself enough chances, I'm going to win one."

He already has come close twice this year. Bohn finished one shot out of a playoff in the season-opening Frys.com Open, courtesy for a flubbed pitch. A week later in Las Vegas, he finished one shot out of the lead

Ruaidhri Magee..  (Photo by Harry Engels/Getty Images)

Rosapenna’s Ruaidhri McGee got his bid for a European Tour card off to a sensational start on what was a good day for Paul Dunne, Damien McGrane and Simon Thornton in the opening round of the Qualifying School Final Stage in Catalonia.

The 24-year old Derry native made seven birdies in a six under 64 on the easier Tour Course, dropping just one shot to finish the day tied for fourth with the top 25 and its after six rounds awarded full European Tour cards at PGA Catalunya Resort near Girona.

As usual at Q-School, almost all the good scoring was done on the par-70 Tour Course, the shorter of the two layouts, with Australia’s Nick Cullen posting a 61 to lead by two strokes from South Africa’s Michael G. Palmer and Spain’s Pep Angles on nine under par

McGee is in a five-way tied for fourth with the likes of Swedish amateur Marcus Kinhult, who shot an outstanding 66 on the difficult Stadium Course as Mount Juliet’s Kevin Phelan had to settle for a  level par 70 on the Tour Course that left him tied 68th.

The other five Irish hopefuls played at the testing, par-72 Stadium Course and it was a positive day for Dunne, McGrane and Thornton as they carded one under 71s to share 52nd place.

Open Championship hero Dunne, 22, was two over through the turn as he mixed three bogeys with one birdie. But he played well on the back nine with birdies at the 13th, 15th and 17th undoing the front nine mistakes.

Thornton also recovered well with two closing birdies at the eighth and ninth putting him in the red as McGrane played steadily all day and was left to rue a closing bogey.

It was a tougher day at the office for former Spanish Open winner Peter Lawrie and Headfort’s Brian Casey as the shot 76s on the Stadium Course and share 138th on four over.

Only the leading 70 players and ties after four rounds — two on each course — qualify for the last two rounds over the Stadium Course.

Cullen set the benchmark with nine under par 61 on the Tour Course to lead the field by two shots.

The Australian was immaculate throughout, with four birdies on the way out and five more coming back as his bogey-free start put him ahead of Spain’s PAngles and South African Michael Palmer at the top of the leaderboard.

Nick Cullen. Picture: Getty Images

Cullen has previously plied his trade on the Australasian Tour for the last five seasons, winning the Australian Masters last year, but the 31 year old now has his sights set on a spot in the 2016 Race to Dubai.

“That’s as good a start as I’ve ever made to a tournament so I’m very happy with it, but it’s such a long week and there’s a lot of golf ahead of us,” he said.

“As much as this week is about trying to finish in that top 25, I think you still need to keep that mindset of trying to win it and then if you don’t then hopefully you’re still up there.

“I played solid today, hit a lot of good iron shots and putted well. The Stadium Course is definitely going to be a bit tougher tomorrow though so I’ve still got a bit of work to do.

“It’s my first time at these courses and I’d been told I needed to take advantage on the Tour Course, but in the practice rounds I found them pretty similar if you hit it straight, it’s maybe just a bit tighter, but if you’re playing good golf you can make some birdies and hopefully I can make a few more tomorrow.

“It’s going to be a hard walk come those last two rounds because I’m not used to it – I’ve never done six rounds and the courses are very up and down so that’ll be interesting come Wednesday and Thursday.”

Angles, at 22 years of age, is only one month into his professional career but has already tasted victory on the satellite Alps Tour and the University of Central Arkansas alumnus is now targeting a spot on The European Tour.

“I graduated in America this May and came back to Europe to play my last few events as an amateur,” he said. “Then I went to my first tournament as a professional and I won it so that gave me real confidence coming into Q School.

“I started quite hot today, I had an eagle on the first and turned in six under, missed a few on the back nine, but I’m happy because it’s a tough week and it’s nice to have a good start to relax and get the week going.”

While the top three all took advantage of the scoring on the Tour Course, the best round on the Stadium Course came from Swedish amateur Marcus Kinhult, whose six under par 66 leaves him in a tie for fourth spot with five others.

“It isn’t easy really but I played well today and the game feels good so I’m looking forward to the rest of the week and hopefully it will be a long week for me,” said the 19 year old.

“There’s not that pressure here, or at least I don’t feel it anyways. It just feels good to be here and to play for something as big as a European Tour card or Challenge Tour card. I think I am one of the happier guys to be here, compared to others who don’t want to be here.

“It’s a good experience to be here and no matter how I play I will still learn from being here. I will probably turn professional after this no matter what, I’m just staying as an amateur to sort things out after this week.

“It would be sweet to get a European Tour card. I try not to think too much about it right now, just play my game and do the best that I can.”

Edoardo Molinari opened with a four under par round of 66 on the Tour Course as he bids to extend his stay on The European Tour to seven seasons while Ireland’s Paul Dunne shot a one under par round of 71 on the Stadium Course.

Elsewhere, France’s Matthieu Pavon made an albatross on the tenth hole of the Tour Course, holing with an eight iron from 170 yards, while South African Darryn Lloyd had a hole-in-one on the Tour Course’s 16th hole.

A marathon six-round week in Girona will ultimately result in the top 25 players and ties earning European Tour cards for next season, with the remainder of the field who make the cut after four rounds taking up spots on the European Challenge Tour for 2016.

Scores after round 1:

61 N Cullen (Aus), 

63 M Palmer (RSA), P Angles (Esp),

64 G King (Eng), S Fernandez (am) (Esp), D Lloyd (RSA), R McGee (Irl),

65 H Porteous (RSA), J Hugo (RSA), J Scrivener (Aus),

66 J Huldahl (Den), E Molinari (Ita), J Dantorp (Swe), H Joannes (Bel), K Samooja (Fin), R McEvoy (Eng), M Kinhult (am) (Swe), S Manley (Wal),

67 D Law (Sco), P Shields (Sco), R Evans (Eng), A Karlsson (Swe), F Bergamaschi (Ita), E Kofstad (Nor), L Nemecz (Aut), M Pavon (Fra), S Hansen (Den), J Knutzon (USA), D Papadatos (Aus), L Canter (Eng),

68 D Huizing (Ned), C Costilla (Arg), F Mruzek (Cze), K Eriksson (Swe), S Walker (Eng), J Walters (RSA), T Gornik (Slo), J White (Eng), F Fritsch (Ger), M Jonzon (Swe), D Gaunt (Aus), W Besseling (Ned), R Fox (Nzl),

69 M Wiegele (Aut), R Finch (Eng), F Laporta (Ita), J Sarasti (Esp), G Green (Mas), J Cafourek (Cze), J Guerrier (Fra), J Doherty (Sco), M Brown (Nzl), T Murray (Eng), P Hedblom (Swe), R McGowan (Eng),

70 L Jensen (Den), D Vancsik (Arg), K Phelan (Irl), B Ritthammer (Ger), R Roussel (am) (Fra), C Hanson (Eng), N Holman (Aus), S Arnold (Aus), D Im (USA), C Pigem (Esp), K Ferrie (Eng), M Søgaard (Den), P Oriol (Esp), G Piris Mateu (Esp),

71 J Sandelin (Swe), N Bertasio (Ita), D Gavins (Eng), C Sordet (Fra), S Henry (Sco), S Thornton (Irl), M Foster (Eng), D McGrane (Irl), P Dunne (Irl), J Lara (Esp), J Rutherford (Eng), M Wallace (Eng), P Widegren (Swe), A Wejshag (Swe), L Gagli (Ita), R Johnson (Swe), C Ford (Eng), J Hahn (USA),

72 M Southgate (Eng), A Hartø (Den), J Lucquin (Fra), M Laskey (Wal), M Nixon (Eng), D Dixon (Eng), J Sjöholm (Swe), D Van Tonder (RSA), C Feldborg Nielsen (Swe), D Bransdon (Aus), J Loughrey (Eng), U Van Den Berg (RSA), R Coles (Eng), M Delpodio (Ita), A Murdaca (Aus), J Robinson (Eng),

73 B Neil (Sco), P Howard (Eng), B Pettersson (Swe), A Saddier (Fra), E Goya (Arg), A Chesters (Eng), F Andersson Hed (Swe), C Koerbler (Aut), A Tadini (Ita), S Brown (Eng), O Henningsson (Swe),

74 C Del Moral (Esp), M Lafeber (Ned), A Otaegui (Esp), G Axell (Swe), S Soderberg (Swe), D Burmester (RSA), P Martin Benavides (Esp), J Mullen (Eng), B Hafthorsson (Isl), E Cuartero Blanco (Esp), P Mejow (Ger), R Saxton (Ned), J Senior (Eng), D Foos (Ger), P Whiteford (Sco), V Riu (Fra), J Lima (Por), P Tarver-Jones (Eng), M Crespi (Ita), J Wrisdale (Eng), 

5 R Kellett (Sco), J Higginbottom (Aus), M Welch (USA), R Santos (Por), C Blomstrand (Swe), M Lundberg (Swe), N Ravano (Ita),

76 D Kataoka (Jpn), N Dougherty (Eng), D Woltman (USA), M Orrin (Eng), J Smith (Eng), J Edfors (Swe), P Lawrie (Irl), N Lemke (Swe), G Murray (Sco), C Berardo (Fra), B Casey (Irl), 

77 O Stark (Swe),

78 S Jeppesen (Swe), 

79 R Gonzalez (Arg),

82 T Sinnott (Aus)

The 18th on the Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya

The Final Stage of the European Tour Q-School teed off at PGA Catalunya today. Some 25 players out of 156 will emerge smiling at the end of the six-round ordeal but for the rest it’s a picture perfect autumn postcard that hides no end of pain and suffering.

A reporter at the Q-School, aka the annual European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, can be made to feel about as comfortable as a doctor called from a fancy dress party to the emergency ward. The atmosphere is grim and faces are longer than a Bubba Watson drive for all bar those lucky card winners — or those who achieve their goal of a Challenge Tour ticket. The young and innocent wander among grizzled veterans grimly battling to hang on to their livelihoods. 

It’s a golfing zombie movie where the wide-eyed and innocent amble along side-by-side with the walking dead, players battling the problems that have brought them to this golfing purgatory in the first place.

It’s a waiting room for the afflicted, the golf junkies who still crave the adrenaline rush of the great circus. With the Challenge Tour now the breeding ground, few young stars emerge from Q-School though Andy Sullivan and Matt Fitzpatrick stand out from the recent crop. 

Property at PGA Catalunya is beyond the budget of most of the participants

This was a bumper year for the 2014 graduates, but event then, fewer than 11 of the 27 retained their cards via the European Tour with another player opting not to play any European Tour events at all, eventually winning a better card by via this season’s Top 15 graduates from the Challenge Tour Rankings.

The poster boys from he class of ’14 were Fitzpatrick and Anirban Lahiri, who had sensational years, winning tournaments and making the Top 20 in the Race to Dubai and the world’s Top 50 along the way.

Lahiri. who made the Presidents’ Cup team, was already a member of the world’s Top 100 when he started at Q-School last year while Fitzpatrick was a US Amateur champion with tons of potential. 

For most mere mortals, the Q-School is an annual event on their schedules should they finish outside the Top 110 in the Race to Dubai or the Top 15 on the Challenge Tour.

By the time it ends on Thursday week, close to 900 players will have taken part in the Qualifying School across three stages, each paying at least €1,600 for the privilege before a hotel room or a flight is booked or a meal eaten.

At the end of it, if all has gone to plan, they emerge from PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona like survivors crawling out of the wreckage of a downed airliner. Denis O’Brien’s 36-hole complex is a wonderful place for a golf holiday or millionaires looking for modernist villas with pools and top of the range features — the price tag can run to €1million. 

It’s a luxurious twilight zone and apart from the occasional smattering of applause from a family member or a casual walker, there is no atmosphere.  The only sounds to be heard are occasional, anguished shouts of “FORE," the cries of builders, occasional hammering and, if you listen close enough, grown men crying.

Spain's Carlos del Moral, winner of the Q-School in 2013, is back again this year.

Your intrepid reporter can be seen shuffling through the autumn leaves, failing miserably to remain inconspicuous amongst the pines and the cork oaks. When each group has an average gallery of three, you stand out like a Kerryman amid the Dubs on Hill 16 and might as well don a black shroud, a skull mask and stand on some lonely hummock with a scythe in hand. You are the Grim Reaper of golf. You tread lightly.

There was a time when the European Tour Q-School was a significant event on the calendar and finding a seat in the press room, as recently as 2006, was a struggle if you did not get there early in the morning. Now, the major news agencies no longer send reporters. No UK or Irish newspapers send a staff writer. 

The growing strength of the Challenge Tour, where the top 15 players earn full European Tour cards, has reduced the impact of Q-School. The graduates averaged fewer than 21 starts — Fitzpatrick will get 32 in the end because he won and qualified for the Final Series —making it a struggle to earn the €250,000 they will need to keep their jobs.

No wonder Philip Walton, the hero of the 1995 Ryder Cup matches, described Q-School as something akin to a prison sentence. And yet the razzle dazzle of the bright lights attracts them in droves every year. 

The par five third at the Stadium Course, which is a candidate venue for the 2022 Ryder Cup matches

Irish participation has waned a little in recent years given the economic downturn. But the return, despite the falling number of entries, remains abysmal. Of 39 entries for the first stage in 2012, 32 in 2013, 22  last year and 28 this year

While there are high hopes we will have some graduates this year, only David Higgins (16th in 2012) and Kevin Phelan (17th in 2013) have won a full card via the Final Stage over the past five years. Little wonder that Niall Kearney and Niall Turner have opted to concentrate on trying to make it through their status on the Asian Tour.

Their decision could prove to be inspired one with the European Tour planning a merger with the Asian Tour from 2017 which would give players on both circuits access to more events and create what will be a Rest of the World Tour to work in tandem with the PGA Tour.

There is still a long way to go before those plans are finalised but as Irishman Mike Kerr, the CEO of the Asian Tour said earlier this year, the creation of what has been described as “a mega-tour that will stretch from the Atlantic coast of Ireland to the shores of the Pacific in the Far East,” is a game changer.

The 13th on the Stadium Course

The Asian Tour Q-School gave Gary Murphy his first pro win but why Ireland struggles to get players from the elite amateur level and through the obstacle course to the European Tour proper is something of a mystery.

Walker Cup players such as Noel Fox, Jonny Caldwell, Paul Cutler and Brian McElhinney have all ended up on the cusp of glory while others have sparkled briefly on the Challenge Tour and failed to progress.

More still, such as multiple championship winner Simon Ward not mention a long list of PGA Irish Region strongmen have tried and failed.

Even successful professionals such as Michael Hoey came close to quitting as they ended up at Q-School year after year. 

Like Hoey, Peter Lawrie eventually got his card via the Challenge Tour rankings. But the Dubliner will be back at the Final Stage next weekend alongside Phelan, Damien McGrane, Simon Thornton Ruaidhri McGee and the few survivors from yesterday’s Second Stage.

When one considers that the Q-School adventure costs a player up to €5,000, it’s a major commitment for people who are not making money.

Only the top 70 and ties make the cut after four rounds at the Final Stage, earning Challenge Tour cards for their trouble. For some, that’s the goal, as former Challenge Tour winner Colm Moriarty explains.

“In some ways it is the Challenge Tour Q-School now rather than the European Tour Q-School,” Moriarty says. “The hardest thing perhaps is to bring your normal attitude to every stage. It’s like the final nail in your coffin — getting through tour school. But if you haven’t played well throughout the year you can’t be relying on the School to make a breakthrough. 

“Whatever tour you are playing on, it is rare to see a guy play poorly all year and then play really well at the school. You have got to look at your game over the year rather than over the week, which is effectively what tour school is if you play all the stages.

“I made the cut three times at the final stage but never actually got a full tour card. For the lower ranking guys, unless you get to the final stage and make the cut, you are not really getting anything out of Tour School. You have to get to the final stage and make the cut to get a full Challenge Tour card and have somewhere to play. That gets people off those satellite tours — the Europro Tour, the Alps, wherever.”

The par three 16th awaits at PGA Catalunya's Stadium Course

The Golfing Union of Ireland’s National Coach, Neil Manchip, tried Q-School himself in his early days a professional but quickly realised he wasn’t cut out for tour life.

He doesn’t actively encourage or discourage Ireland’s top amateurs when it comes to the professional ranks but having once been bitten by the bug himself, he understands why they take the plunge.

“You want guys to make their own decisions and do things for the best reasons,” the Scot explains. “And give it their best effort. Some guys stay at it for a long time, some guys give it a couple of years and decide to give it up. You just never know. 

“You could be talking about acting, somebody who wants to be a Hollywood star. You have got to do what you want to do and nobody should say what you should or shouldn’t do. If you have some ability and the capacity to learn, those people usually do pretty well. There is no formula. Just get it around the course in as few shots as you can.

“It is hard to adjust to tournament life well, no matter how good or talented you were. It is very difficult to play your hobby for a living with all the travelling and tournament play. Constantly judging yourself, constantly trying to get better. Very few people can do it.”

Paul Dunne

Open Championship hero Paul Dunne refuses to dream of what might be as he joins another six Irishmen for the first round of the gruelling European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage at PGA Catalunya Resort today.

The 22-year old Dubliner is focusing firmly in the present and he could only smile when asked if the experience of leading The Open through 54 holes helped him come through a six-man playoff for two places at his Second Stage qualifier in Tarragona last Monday afternoon.

“I don’t know,” he said with a chuckle. “It was completely different. There were about 10 people watching. I think every pressure situation you are in can help you, if you learn from it. I am sure it did. But I am sure that other pressure situations helped as well.”

Like tour winners Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie and Simon Thornton, young professionals Kevin Phelan and Ruaidhri McGee or fellow Final Stage rookie Brian Casey from Headfort (a brilliant joint winner of his First Stage qualifier on 24 under par), Dunne’s goal is simply to finish among the Top 25 and ties who are awarded full European Tour cards after six rounds.

He’s got such a high profile after The Open and three impressive European Tour performances since turning professional following the Walker Cup, that he’s likely to get some starts next year no matter what happens in Girona.

But he prefers not to deal in hypotheticals but to focus on the job at hand and the chance to win his card outright next Thursday afternoon.

“I don’t know if I will have any invites next year, not for definite, so I am just going to see how Q-School goes,” said Dunne, whose must first make the 72-hole cut for top 70 and ties. 

“Goal number one is to hit good shots at the right time and get my full European Tour card. After that, whatever happens, I’ll look at next year and plan whatever schedule I can.”

The Greystones favourite is joined in the field by his Walker Cup team mates Ashley Chesters and Jimmy Mullen, and former Ryder Cup players Edoardo Molinari of Italy, Swede Jarmo Sandelin and Dane Soren Hansen.

“Hopefully it’ll be a good week but if it’s not, it’s obviously not the end of the world,” Dunne said. “I’m just excited for the opportunity and hopefully I can play well, keep my composure and hit good shots at the right time, and hit the bad ones at the right time too. 

"Everyone is going to hit bad shots so it’s a case of making par when you do. Time will tell but I’ll just take the week as it comes.

“It’s obviously a great opportunity and hopefully I can make the most of it but I’m just going to try and play well and see where it leaves me.”

Dunne, Thornton, McGrane, Lawrie and Casey begin their Q-School quest at the tougher, par-72 Stadium Course with McGee and Phelan starting on the shorter, par-70 Tour Course.

SCORING