Irish Golf News

A happy Graeme McDowell

Graeme McDowell confessed that the hole looks “pretty big” again after he rediscovered his driving and putting touch and fired his lowest round for three and a half years to grab the clubhouse lead the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico.

Bidding to get back into the world’s Top 50 to boost his Ryder Cup qualifying chances after slipping from 15th to 85th in the world over the past 12 months, the 36-year old former US Open winner made nine birdies in an eight under par 63, holing a succession of mid to long range putts, to lead  on 12 under par at El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen.

“The hole looks pretty big,” said McDowell, who missed just three fairways and tallied 25 and 26 putts in the first two rounds. “The two biggest keys of my year, and the two biggest things that haven’t been performing, have been my driver and my putter.

“They are probably my two biggest strengths but I drove the ball much better than I did yesterday and I putted just as good. I am really seeing these greens really well, putting nice and decisively and making a few. I’ve enjoyed the first couple of day and I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

McDowell began the tournament by driving out of bounds and taking double bogey six but posted a 67 that included a rain-delayed  run of five birdies in a row to trail by two overnight before following up with a superb 63. 

He bogeyed the first again yesterday when it was his 10th, but having gone out in 31 with four back nine birdies, he came back from the dropped shot with some sensational putting.

After rolling in four birdies in a from the second to the fifth, he picked up another at the seventh to post lowest round since he shot a nine under par, second round 63 en route to second place in the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

McDowell, who could rise as high a 61st in the world with a win in Mexico, was the early clubhouse leader by two shots from South Korea’s Si Woo Kim (64).

McDowell holes another putt in Mexico

Seeking just his third official PGA Tour win following the 2010 US Open and the RBC Heritage two years ago, McDowell  finished 160th in last season’s FedExCup and knows he can't afford another poor year as his exemption runs out at the end of the 2016 campaign.

While he'd love to make it to Doral and the Masters, his focus is on making sure he at least qualifies for the WGC-Cadillac Match Play in Texas (Top 64 in the world).

For that reason, the PGA Tour will be his focus for the early part of the season and to that end he's also playing next week's RSM Classic (formerly the McGladery) at Sea Island.

“(I) came into these two weeks with a pretty relaxed attitude,” McDowell told PGATour.com. “The last couple days, so far, the attitude’s been good. I’ve just been out there trying to play golf and enjoy myself.”

McDowell admit that his desire to end his slump with a victory has caused him to put too much pressure on himself on recent weekends. Those mistakes are similar to the ones he made earlier in his career when he was trying to learn how to win, he said.“I went through a spell in my career where winning started to become a little easier,” McDowell said. “I’ve had a spell here the last 18 months where making cuts has been hard and getting in contention has been difficult.“I feel like I’ve got enough resources to pull on going into a weekend like this one. The keys are not getting too far ahead of myself and staying in the present. This is not the last-chance saloon this weekend.”

The 7th at Arklow Golf Links

Winter golf is upon us and if you fancy testing yourself against PGA professional, sign up for the Wednesday Winter Alliance at Arklow Golf Club.

The action begins next Wednesday,  18 November and continues every following Wednesday throughout the winter with prized for the three best nett scores and the best gross.

The cost is €25 for visitors with breakfast or €30 with lunch while professional and members pay €20 for the breakfast option or €25 for golf and lunch.

The handicap limit is 12 and all queries should be address to Richard Creamer in the professional's shop at Arklow on  0402 32492 extension 1.

Irish Open Matchplay impresses Gary Murphy

Andrew Cooke and Vernon Devane of Kerry with their 2015 Irish Open Matchplay Fourball champions trophies at Carton House

Golf’s answer to the All-Ireland, the Irish Open Matchplay 2015, came to an exciting climax at Carton House recently with highlights due to be broadcast on Setanta on Tuesday next at 7.45pm.

Competitors in this 32 county competition started the arduous journey to October’s finale at Carton House earlier in the summer and Setanta will screen the showpiece singles and fourball events for the first time next week.

Tipperary’s Pat Ryan reigned supreme in the singles while Andrew Cooke and Vernon Devane of Kerry captured the fourball.

Former European Tour Gary Murphy was impressed by the standard, remarking: “The battle throughout the summer up and down the country between competition entrants, and also the calibre on show at Carton House was exceptional.

Tipperary’s Pat Ryan, 2015 Irish Open Matchplay singles champion

“To think that players can set off early in the summer with the hope of perhaps capturing their county prize, and then in time feature in a really tense, exciting televised final is class.

“When I started out as a young golfer in the Amateur ranks back in the 1980’s, there was nothing comparable to this in terms of glitz, glamour and a televised final at Carton.”

Tuesday’s broadcast will feature interviews and action with grassroot golfers from across the country.

Entries are already coming in for the 2016 event, which begins in April.

• Broadcast: Tuesday, November 17 on Setanta at 19.45.
• Registration: Enter for the 2016 Irish Open Matchplay at  www.irishopenmatchplay.ie

Lucas Bjerregaard. Picture: Getty Images

Shane Lowry’s miserable two weeks in China continued on Friday when he carded a two over 73 to find himself 13 shots off the lead in the BMW Masters in Shanghai.

Since he began the Final Series with a 15 under par, eighth place performance in the Turkish Airlines Open, the world No 18 has suffered on the greens in China and failed to break 70 in six consecutive rounds.

His driver was partly to blame for an up and down round that featured five birdies, five bogeys and a triple bogey six at the 202-yard sixth.

But while there were ball striking mistakes, he could not make up for them on the grens and took 32 putts to bring his tally for his last six rounds to 197 or an average of nearly 33 per round.

Nobody can compete at the top level with those numbers and Lowry finds himself tied for 52nd on one-over par, six shots outside the Top 10 and a dozen strokes behind the hugely impressive Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark who posted a second successive 66 at Lake Malaren to lead by three shots from Thongchai Jaidee (68) and an out-of-sorts Sergio Garcia (71) on 12-under par.

Ian Poulter (68), Byeong-Hun An (71) and Paul Casey (69) share fourth on eight under while American Peter Uihlein, who had seven irdies in a row in a 66, is tied for seventh with Ross Fisher (71) on seven under.

Paul McGinley, 49 next month and looking to his final season on the European Tour next year, shot a second successive 71 in what is just his eighth event of the year to share 35th on two under.

As for the Race to Dubai, which will be decided in Dubai next week, Lowry is projected to remain third behind Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett.

Willett moved up to tied 28th on three under with a 68 but needs to improve a little more to take a lead over McIlroy into the DP World Tour Championship.

Lowry must win or finish second to overhaul the resting McIlroy and that looks almost impossible given the form shown by Bjerregaard and the leaders.

Despite low temperatures and a stiff breeze at Lake Malaren Golf Club, Bjerregaard, who recently finished runner-up behind Justin Rose in the UBS Hong Kong Open, plundered seven birdies to climb to 12 under par. 

Garcia maintained his lead for much of the second day following three birdies on the front nine, but a bogey on the 12th holed followed by a double bogey seven on the 13th, where his second shot found the water hazard, handed the initiative to Bjerregaard. 

Lucas Bjerregaard, 66 (-12)“It was a great round and obviously finished off with some good birdies coming in. Nothing much really happened on the first nine, I just played really solid. But it was a good bit tougher than yesterday with the wind up and some of the holes were playing really long, so I stayed patient and got my rewards in the end.“It was fun playing with Pete [Uihlein]. He had seven birdies in a row, and I was cheering him on. He just missed out by an inch for his eighth in a row there, and I was really hoping that would go in. He’s a nice guy and we played three rounds together in Turkey, so I got to know him there and it was nice that we both played well today.”Sergio Garcia, 71 (-9)“It was definitely much tougher today, and I still felt like I left at least three or four shots out there. But it was obviously difficult – if you didn’t hit the right shot at the right time, you could pay the price and I definitely did a couple of times. I made a really nice par on the 17th and a great four on the last, which is playing very difficult. So I’m not too upset, but I would have loved it to be a little bit better.”Thongchai Jaidee, 68 (-9)“I’ve played solid the last two days. I hit 17 greens today, the only miss was on the last hole, where I made bogey. I hit some very good iron shots and also some good tee shots, plus my putting was solid, especially on the back nine. So it was a very good day, especially because the course was playing very tough today.”Ian Poulter, 68 (-8)"I played nicely, and it’s continuing my form from last week when I hit lots of greens in regulation and felt that I was leaving a lot of chances out there. But I’ve started to take a few chances the last couple of days, and I've played some solid golf. So on reflection, apart from the three bogeys, and two of those were with wedges in my hand, I’m feeling pretty good about things.“I can’t remember the last time I had four birdies in a row, but it was nice to see a few birdies going in. The game has been there lately, so I know I’m playing well enough but I just haven't been holing putts. But for the last three rounds I’ve changed something with my putting, it’s felt a lot better and obviously I’m making a few birdies now.”Round Two scores

132 L Bjerregaard  (Den) 66 66,

135 S Garcia  (Esp) 64 71, T Jaidee (Tha) 67 68,

136 P Casey  (Eng) 67 69, B An (Kor) 65 71, I Poulter (Eng) 68 68,

137 P Uihlein  (USA) 71 66, R Fisher (Eng) 66 71,

138 F Molinari (Ita) 68 70, V Dubuisson  (Fra) 65 73, M Kaymer (Ger) 69 69,

139 J Morrison  (Eng) 70 69, J Quesne  (Fra) 70 69, C Wood  (Eng) 70 69, H Stenson (Swe) 68 71, S Kjeldsen (Den) 72 67, M Fitzpatrick  (Eng) 68 71, J Rose (Eng) 67 72, K Broberg (Swe) 69 70,

140 M Fraser (Aus) 70 70, D Howell (Eng) 69 71, G Bourdy (Fra) 70 70, P Reed (USA) 71 69, B Wiesberger  (Aut) 71 69, M Kieffer (Ger) 72 68, D Zecheng (Chn) 68 72, T Fleetwood  (Eng) 72 68,

141 L Oosthuizen  (RSA) 70 71, B Hebert  (Fra) 69 72, D Willett  (Eng) 72 69, Z Hui-Lin (Chn) 71 70, L Wenchong (Chn) 70 71, D Lee  (Nzl) 70 71, E Grillo (Arg) 71 70,

142 T Fisher Jnr (RSA) 71 71, M Warren (Sco) 72 70, G Stal  (Fra) 69 73, E Pepperell (Eng) 68 74, J Van Zyl (RSA) 68 74, S Hend (Aus) 69 73, T Pieters  (Bel) 71 71, P McGinley (Irl) 71 71, B Grace  (RSA) 71 71,

143 R Ramsay  (Sco) 68 75, C Zi-Hao (Chn) 72 71, A Wall (Eng) 73 70, L Slattery (Eng) 72 71, R Karlberg  (Swe) 70 73,

144 G Storm  (Eng) 72 72, A Cañizares  (Esp) 73 71, J Luiten (Ned) 70 74,

145 R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 72 73, S Lowry  (Irl) 70 75, L Haotong (Chn) 71 74, C Yi (Chn) 73 72, D Horsey (Eng) 70 75, S Gallacher (Sco) 72 73, A Sullivan (Eng) 74 71, P Larrazábal (Esp) 74 71, F Zanotti (Par) 70 75,

146 K Moon (Kor) 72 74, K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 72 74, T Olesen (Den) 75 71,

147 J Donaldson (Wal) 76 71, J Daly (USA) 72 75, W Ashun (Chn) 74 73, T Hatton (Eng) 74 73, A Noren  (Swe) 70 77,

148 O Zheng (Chn) 77 71, Z Xinjun (Chn) 68 80, H Ze-Yu (Chn) 74 74,

149 A Levy (Fra) 73 76,

152 M Siem  (Ger) 72 80, R Jacquelin (Fra) 78 74,

153 Z Xiongyi (Chn) 78 75, M Jiménez (Esp) 78 75,

155 Y Zhou Huan (Chn) 80 75,

156 H Mu (Chn) 77 79.

Graeme McDowell made a good start in Mexico

Graeme McDowell got his 2015-16 season off to a positive start with a gutsy 68 in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico.

The 36-year old from Portrush has suffered a seemingly endless series of blows and slipped from 15th to 85rd in the world over the past 12 months.

But he fought back well from his bad start last night, ending the day tied for 10th, just two shots behind Justin Leonard, Aaron Baddeley, Shawn Stefani and Derek Fathaeur, who shot six under 66s for a one-stroke lead over Michael Thompson, D.J. Trajan, Charles Howell III and Patton Kizzire.

He drew a line under his European Tour season as quickly as was decent to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. And while an opening six on the first at El Camaleon in Playa del Carmen might have filled others with portents of doom, his reaction was spectacular.

While he had to put up with a rain delay on his front nine, McDowell birdied the fourth, fifth and sixth and then came back out on a soaked course to birdie the seventh and eighth.

Out in 33, he wasn't quite as prolific on the back nine but still mixed two birdies with just one mistake in a round that saw him miss just two fairways and clean up well around the greens with 24 putts.

THE NEW LIFFEY WING AT THE K CLUB

It will be back in the fold in 2017 but because of pressure on dates caused by golf's return to the Olympic Games, next year's Dubai Duty Free Irish Open will not be part of the The Open Qualifying Series.

On Thursday, the R&A announced the 14 events in nine countries that will will make up Qualifying Series for 2016, offering a total of 44 places at Royal Troon from July 14-17.

The Irish Open has featured in the Series since it was set up in 2013 but as it takes place at The K Club from May 19-22 next year, the tournament ends the day before first Official World Golf Ranking qualifying date, which traditionally gives the world's Top 50 at the start of Week 21 their places in the field

Offering Open exemptions on Sunday, followed by more exemptions via the OWGR the following Monday did not make sense to the R&A or the European Tour, who have decided to offer one place to the leading non-exempt players the top five at that Nordea Masters, which take places a fortnight after the Irish Open from June 2- at Stockholm’s Bro Hof Slott Golf Course.

As the R&A explain in their press release, the Nordea Masters is one of two new events in the series alongside the FedEx St Jude Classic (June 9-12) at TPC Southwind in Tennessee.

"In line with the Tour schedules, the Series has been adjusted to accommodate the return of golf to the Olympic Games in Rio but is planned to revert to its previous schedule in 2017," the R&A explained.

The Emirates Australian Open, which is played from 26-29 November at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney, will be the first chance for players to secure a place in golf’s most international Major Championship. The leading three players, who finish in the top ten and ties and who are not already exempt, will qualify for The Open.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, R&A Executive Director - Championships, said, “Over the past two years, The Open Qualifying Series has created an exciting build-up to the Championship as players around the world bid to secure their places in The Open.

"We are looking forward to working with each of the Tours again to welcome an international field to Royal Troon while continuing to enhance The Open’s global appeal.”

The Open Qualifying Series concludes with the ALSTOM Open de France and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open on the European Tour and the Quicken Loans National and the Greenbrier Classic on the PGA TOUR.

Karl O’Donnell (left) and Dermott Bradshaw (right). Picture courtesy Patrick Bolger/Getty Images

Newlands Golf Club captain Dermott Bradshaw is set to tee up with a former European Tour player for a once-in-a-lifetime championship final in Turkey.

Bradshaw, a 57-year-old IT manager, will play alongside his club’s PGA Professional Karl O’Donnell in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge final at Antalya Golf Club.

The showpiece event will take place over the PGA Sultan Course on November 25-26 and has a total prize fund of £25,000.

O’Donnell and Bradshaw qualified to play alongside nine other pairings after winning their regional qualifier at Luttrellstown earlier this summer.

And the latter will be in safe hands alongside O’Donnell, who played in some of Europe’s leading golf events during the nineties.

“I think the key for us is going to be keeping Dermott nice and calm and relaxed,” admitted O’Donnell, who has qualified for the final of this event for the first time in his career.

“He proved in the qualifier that if he just goes out there and plays his game he is capable of putting in a competitive round.

“I’m quietly confident we can go out there and do well. We just want to take it in our stride and see what we can do while we’re out there.

“The last thing we want to do is put additional pressure on ourselves.”

The duo have known each other for 26 years since O’Donnell joined the club in the late eighties. Bradshaw has been a member at Newlands for more than 40 years since joining the club as a junior member.

And the duo had been working on the captain’s game over the course of the summer.

“I’d been working with Karl and it looks like it’s worked out,” he explained after completing his round at the qualifier.

“I knew I’d be playing more golf this year, but it wasn’t just that, I just wanted to play better.

“I was a bad nine handicapper and now I’m a better nine handicapper!”

View the full list of entries and event information for the championship final at Antalya Golf Club.

Shane Lowry admires his approach to his final hole. He missed the birdie putt.

Shane Lowry opened with a frustrating two under 70 and trails leader Sergio Garcia by six shots after the opening round of the $7m BMW Masters at Lake Malaren in Shanghai.

On a day when Danny Willett, just 400,000 behind Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy struggled to a 72, Lowry played well enough from tee to green to get closer to the lead but failed with the putter.

The world No 1 finished the day in the middle of the pack for putting, missing several good birdie chances as well as two short putts for par at his third (the 12th) and fourth (the 13th), where he drove into the lake but then hit a 204-yard fourth to no more than six feet.

Third in the Race to Dubai and in with a chance of going top heading into the final event next week if he can win or finish second this week, Lowry had birdied his opening hole. And while he was rolling his eyes after his errors at the 12th and 13thm he came back well with birdies at the 16th, 17th and third to get to two under.

He might have made up a shot or two more but his six iron to six feet at his final hole followed by a missed birdie putt summed up a 31 putt day that left Lowry tied for 24th

Paul McGinley, the only other Irish player in the field due to McIlroy's absence, is a shot further back in tied 38th after a 71.

Lowry and Oosthuizen. Closest to the pin. #BMWMasters https://t.co/jRlscREapO

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 12, 2015

In contrast, Garcia was clinical from tee to green, hitting every fairway and missing just one green as he made nine birdies and dropped just one shot in his first competitive round at Lake Malaren.

Still 11th in the world but a lowly 30th in the Race to Dubai, Garcia has a one shot advantage over Frenchman Victor Dubuission, who continued the form which brought him victory in his last appearance in the Turkish Airlines Open with a flawless 65, and Korean Byeong Hun An, who was also bogey-free as he chases a second BMW title of 2015 following his PGA Championship victory in May. 

Englishman Ross Fisher, who lost in a play-off 12 months ago, is a further shot back on six under par, as his affinity with Shanghai continues following his share of third place in last week’s WGC-HSBC Champions in the same city. 

He was joined in fourth position by Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard, who finished runner-up to Justin Rose in last month’s UBS Hong Kong Open, while Rose’s bid for back-to-back titles on Chinese soil began with a five under par round of 67, leaving the Englishman three shots off the pace in a share of sixth position with compatriot Paul Casey and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee. 

Playing alongside Lowry and Louis Oosthuizen, Willett could not replicate the form he showed in that closing 62 in the WGC-HSBC Champions last week, where he was second to Russell Knox.

“Just couldn’t quite get things going,” Willett said. "Drove it well. Didn't quite get the numbers right or hit it close enough to make anything. Just a very stale day.”

“It was a strange one last week. The game's not felt great, and one of them where on Sunday last week, we kind of hit it into areas and ended up hitting a couple stiff, a couple close, took advantage of the par 5s and actually made a really good score out of what in all honesty feelings-wise wasn't great.

"We are working hard and we are working hard to try to get the feelings somewhat back. It's obviously a long four-week stretch. Trying to stay fresh and obviously give ourselves as good a chance in The Race to Dubai.

“I t’s one of them, regardless of what happens this week, whoever wins this week, if we win next week, we're going to win The Race to Dubai. It's one of them where people are saying, you need to finish so-and-so. But it also comes down to next week.”

Sergio Garcia – 64 (-8)

“It was nice. Conditions were quite good, not much wind, a little bit of a drizzle but other than that it was good. The course is nice. I drove the ball very well and that gave me a lot of opportunities to hit some good iron shots. So, it was a nice round.

“I got off to a nice start and I had three birdies in the first four on my front nine and then another three on the first four on the back nine. It’s the kind of round that you are looking for.

“I’m feeling a bit more comfortable, a bit better. I had a couple of rounds last week where I felt like I played better than I did in Malaysia. Hopefully I keep improving as the week goes on, and we'll be out there on Sunday having a chance.” 

Victor Dubuisson – 65 (-7)

“It's been a long time I shot a low score to start a tournament. Usually I play so-so the first two rounds and I do well on the weekend where I make some good results. But to start with seven under, it feels great for confidence for the rest of the tournament.

“It’s carrying on what I did in Turkey. I feel so good on the greens. When I read the line well, I feel like the putt can only go in the hole, and you don’t have this feeling much time during the year. So yeah, it feels great.”

Byeong Hun An – 65 (-7)

“The round was just really good. I think I hit 17 or 18 greens today, so I’m quite happy with that.
I would say at least 12 or 13 holes, they were all in birdie range of say 20 feet, and I hit it really well today. I’ve been playing well the last two weeks.”

Ross Fisher – 66 (-6)

“It felt very similar to Sunday at the WGC-HSBC Champions on the greens. I just felt like I saw the lines and I had the speed dialled in. I had a few putts that slipped by, but to finish by birdieing on eight where I hit a good four iron in, and then nine, to birdie that was a bonus. So, 66 is going to make lunch taste pretty sweet.”

Justin Rose – 67 (-5)

“Last year, I started on the back nine and I was four over through four I think. From that point onwards, I made a bunch of birdies and put myself in contention to win the tournament. I had a little bit more of a smooth start today: one under through the first four. So we celebrated that.

“I played okay today. I was only one under through 11, and I could see a lot of the other guys were going low today and tried to urge myself to sort of get it to three or four under, and I actually beat my own expectations and finished five under for the round. I’m very happy with how I played the last seven or eight holes, and it was a good day’s work in the end.”

Completed first round scores (par 72)

64 S Garcia (Esp), 

65 B An (Kor), V Dubuisson (Fra),

66 L Bjerregaard (Den), R Fisher (Eng),

67 J Rose (Eng), P Casey (Eng), T Jaidee (Tha),

68 J Van Zyl (RSA), F Molinari (Ita), R Ramsay (Sco), E Pepperell (Eng), I Poulter (Eng), H Stenson (Swe), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), Z Xinjun (Chn), D Zecheng (Chn), 69 G Stal (Fra), D Howell (Eng), M Kaymer (Ger), K Broberg (Swe), S Hend (Aus), B Hebert (Fra),

70 F Zanotti (Par), D Lee (Nzl), L Oosthuizen (RSA), J Luiten (Ned), A Noren (Swe), J Morrison (Eng), L Wenchong (Chn), C Wood (Eng), R Karlberg (Swe), J Quesne (Fra), D Horsey (Eng), G Bourdy (Fra), M Fraser (Aus), S Lowry (Irl),

71 E Grillo (Arg), P Uihlein (USA), P McGinley (Irl), T Fisher Jnr (RSA), Z Hui-Lin (Chn), B Wiesberger (Aut), T Pieters (Bel), B Grace (RSA), P Reed (USA), L Haotong (Chn),

72 C Zi-Hao (Chn), D Willett (Eng), G Storm (Eng), K Aphibarnrat (Tha), S Kjeldsen (Den), J Daly (USA), M Kieffer (Ger), S Gallacher (Sco), K Moon (Kor), M Warren (Sco), L Slattery (Eng), M Siem (Ger), R Cabrera-Bello (Esp), T Fleetwood (Eng),

73 C Yi (Chn), A Levy (Fra), A Cañizares (Esp), A Wall (Eng),

74 H Ze-Yu (Chn), P Larrazábal (Esp), T Hatton (Eng), A Sullivan (Eng), W Ashun (Chn),

75 T Olesen (Den),

76 J Donaldson (Wal),

77 H Mu (Chn), O Zheng (Chn),

78 M Jiménez (Esp), R Jacquelin (Fra), Z Xiongyi (Chn),

80 Y Zhou Huan (Chn)

 

Graeme McDowell practices for the 2015 British Masters at Woburn with his GAME GOLF LIVE device. Picture: Richard Martin-Roberts | Golffile

Graeme McDowell will be helped by an imminent change in the membership requirements on the European Tour but in the numbers game that is professional golf and business, his PGA Tour career is his priority simply because it pays better.

The Portrush native's PGA Tour exemption runs out at the end of the 2015-16 season and while he's now outside the Top 50 in the world and could struggle to make the Ryder Cup team, hanging on to his PGA Tour membership is clearly the Orlando resident's top priority

Graeme McDowell uses his Game Golf GPS Digital Tracking Device during a Pro-Am at the 2015 British Masters at Woburn.
Picture: Richard Martin-Roberts | Golffile

“My playing privileges on this side of the Atlantic are more important to me than my playing privileges on the European Tour, simply because when you boil it all down and look at it from a purely monetary point of view, I want to be employed in the best possible job I can,” McDowell said at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico, the first of two 2015-16 PGA Tour starts he'll make before Christmas.

“The European Tour means a lot to me. I’m very proud of it, I’m very loyal to it. The Ryder Cup is really important to me. But making a living is what it’s all about.”

New European Tour Chief Executive, Keith Pelley, is preparing to announce changes in the minimum membership requirements that would be good news for players like McDowell or Luke Donald.

Pelley's plan is reportedly to reduced the minimum from 13 events, including the majors and the four World Golf Championships to a new minimum of five starts, not including those limited-field tournaments.

“It takes pressure off a guy like me,” said McDowell, who played 11 European Tour events, excluding the majors and WGCs, this year.

“If the worst-case scenario happens and I’m not back in the top 50 by the middle of next year, I’m going to have some serious number problems in Europe.”

Down 70 places from 15th to 85th in the world since December 31 last, McDowell explained why he's decided to play two 2015-16 PGA Tour events this month rather than shut down and regroup for 2016

"I’ve got to put this year behind me and start moving forwardI’ve got to get some numbers under my belt, I’ve got to start playing a little bit. That was probably my main motivation,” he said.

His five-year exemption for winning the 2010 US Open was extended by another year (to the end of 2016) because he won the 2013 RBC Heritage during that five-year stretch.

Having finished 2015 ranked 160th in the FedExCup, he would have lost his card without that exemption and may have been forced to rely on his haul of €12.1m in career money in the US.

McDowell said in Turkey that it while he'd love to play, it would not be the end of the world if he failed to qualify for the Masters at Augusta National next year, a course that doesn't suit him.

He's more worried about trying to get back into he world's Top 64 who play the WGC-Cadillac Match Play. If he can do that, he can make the Top 50 who qualify for the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral.

“I need to play more golf courses where I feel like if I play well, I will contend,” he said. “Events like Mayakoba, McGladrey [his next start after Mayakoba] and into the new year, L.A., Honda, Tampa, stuff like that.

"That’s what got me to the position to win a major championship, and that’s where I’ve got to go back to basics and start playing more golf, competing and winning tournaments again and get my confidence back.”

McDowell's driving and putting held him back this year with his lack of accuracy off the tee putting huge pressure on the rest of his game, especially his putting.

First on the PGA Tour in 2014 for Strokes Gained Putting with 0.886, he was just inside the Top 100 at 0.042 this year.

Most tellingly of all, his stroke average fell from 69.642 to 71.470, the equivalent of more than 7.3 strokes per 72 hole event.

McDowell has many commercial interests in the US, including the promotion of GAME GOLF LIVE, "the industry’s first wearable, real-time shot tracker for both iOS and Android smartphone platforms."
 
The launch of GAME GOLF LIVE follows the original GAME GOLF Classic product, which was first launched in the UK and Ireland in 2014.

GAME GOLF Classic was the first wearable device and integrated a software platform which tracked and captured real performance data and displayed players’ rounds in a dynamic and socially driven interface. It is also the only wearable technology product that collects data and statistics that is “Permitted Under the Rules of Golf” by the R&A and USGA*.  

For more information on GAME GOLF visit www.gamegolf.com, or follow GAME GOLF on Facebook or Twitter.

*GAME GOLF LIVE is permissible under the rules of golf for use in competition when not used in conjunction with the mobile app. 

The Links at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links

Failing to win would have been a surprise but Peter Lawrie showed that his wind game at least is in reasonable shape for his European Tour Qualifying School quest when he won the best gross in Tuesday's Winter Series outing at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links.

The Dubliner, 41, posted a two over par 73 to take the top prize while Portmarnock's Michael O’Donoghue won the nett with a 74 off a handicap of six.

It's Lawrie second successive appearance the Final Stage, which is played at PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona, the Denis O'Brien owned resort he also represents as a touring professional.

Lawrie failed to win back his card by one stroke 12 months ago but played 28 events this season, 17 of them thanks to invitations and finished 124th in the money list, some €62,000 outside the Top 110 who earn full playing privileges for 2016.

Lawrie will be joined in the first round of what he hopes will be a six round test on Saturday by Damien McGrane, who needs to tee it up if he wants to ensure himself of some kid of category for 2016.

Despite saying in Portugal that he'd "had a great run" and that his mind had been "made up a while," about quitting, he's still keen to play some tournaments in 2016 and must go to Q-School to give himself the best chance of getting into the Irish Open at The K Club next year.

McGrane said before the Portugal Masters that the game was passing him by, adding that players were  getting younger and more powerful as he was getting older and shorter.

McGrane and Lawrie as the senior players in a seven-man Irish challenge alongside Ruaidhri McGee, Simon Thornton, Kevin Phelan and young guns Paul Dunne and Brian Casey, who had to come through the first two stages.

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy insists he will be "100% ready" to take on world No 1 Jordan Spieth when they clash for the first time in 2016 in the $2.7 millio Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

With Rickie Fowler also lined up, three of the world's Top-5 will be there as well as Swede Henrik Stenson as they chase the richest purse on the European Tour’s ‘Desert Swing.’

Four-time Major winner and world No 3 McIlroy has his sights focused on winning his first Falcon Trophy, having clinched four runner up slots over the past eight years. 

The Ulsterman believes starting his season against the world’s best at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 21 - 2 will be the driving force he needs to reclaim the world number one title in 2016.

His Excellency Aref Al Awani (ADSC) with Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, who will be joined by Rory McIlroy for a desert showdown in Abu Dhabi in January.

“Abu Dhabi always brings an outstanding player field, and with Jordan and Rickie competing in January, this will a superb test for me to start off the 2016 season. I’ve come close in Abu Dhabi several times now, so I’ll be 100% ready for January’s challenge,” McIlroy said.

World No 1 Spieth, the Masters and US Open champion as well as they FedExCup champion, will be making his debut in the event.

Spieth said: “I am looking forward to coming to Abu Dhabi, especially after Rickie told me about what a fantastic event it is.  I love to travel and see the world and I am excited to not only play in the event but also checking out Abu Dhabi for the first time.”

Fan favourite and world No 5 Fowler, 26, made his debut in Abu Dhabi last January and has his eyes set on the ‘Falcon Trophy’, believing a win will put him in good stead for a strong 2016 season.

“The past two years have been pivotal in my career,” said Fowler. “Getting three great Tour wins under my belt this year and coming so close in the four Majors in 2014 has given me confidence.

"I’m feeling more comfortable with my game than ever, and I’m looking forward to starting with a tough test against some of the big names in Abu Dhabi, which I hope will set me up nicely for the season ahead.”

The ninth and 18th greens at the Heritage Golf and Spa Resort Hotel

The spirit of Seve Ballesteros and the magnificent qualities of the course he designed with Jeff Howes will be on show for all to see when the Heritage Resort and the PGA in Ireland stage the sixth annual Heritage Challenge Pro-Am in association with the Seve Ballesteros Foundation from 4-5 June 2016.

Already one of the highlights of the PGA in Ireland calendar, the Heritage Challenge Pro-Am will feature an increased prize fund of €50,000 — making it the biggest in Ireland — and will support the charitable efforts of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation.

“The Board members of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation are delighted and very grateful that The Heritage Resort and the PGA of Ireland are hosting the  sixth annual Heritage Challenge Pro-Am in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation," Seve's children Javier, Miguel and Carmen wrote to the club. "We wish you every success and our sincere thanks.”

Javier Ballesteros hopes to tee it up in an event that will offer a wide range of sponsorship options with the $50,000 title sponsorship the pick of the bunch.

A Gala Dinner and charity auction in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation will take place at the conclusion of play on Sunday, June 5th.

Items donated thus far for auction include a fourball at Royal Pedreña Golf Club in Santander, a visit to the trophy room in Seve’s house and a sculpture of Seve’s grip.

PGA in Ireland secretary, Michael McCumiskey said: “Support for golf and playing the game has recovered in recent times and, as part of that, we look forward with great enthusiasm to the staging of The Heritage Challenge in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation.”

The Heritage Resort is closely associated with the Spanish golfing legend as home to the Ballesteros Course, the only golf course in Ireland designed by the legendary five time major winner.

The venue is consistently ranked among the top 10 parkland courses in the country by Golf Digest magazine and has previously hosted The Seve Trophy and Irish Senior Open.

The Heritage Golf Operations manager Dean Redmond added; “It is a great boost for the venue to be hosting The Heritage Challenge in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation. The professionals and amateurs will find the Seve designed course a great challenge in 2016.” 

Entry for a team of three costs just €1,000 and includes, two rounds with a top PGA professional, refreshment each day, barbeque on Saturday 4th June and Gala Dinner on Sunday 5th June, special accommodation rates at partner hotels and a memento of the occasion.
 
Last year's tournament was won by David Higgins (Waterville) who carded rounds of 68/75 to edge out Colm Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance).
 
Places are limited, so to guarantee a place at this year’s event contact Dean Redmond on 057 8642321 or email info@heritageresort.ie.

The Seve Ballesteros FoundationThe Seve Ballesteros Foundation honours the life, the achievements and professional career of Seve and preserves his legacy supporting his passion, golf, and what this sport can do for young people.Seve set up the Foundation in 2009, with the commitment to contribute to the advancement of science for the benefit of those suffering from brain tumours. The Foundation raises funds for scientific research with the aim of helping to find a cure for brain cancer, working with some of the best scientists and institutes in the world.Seve always talked about giving something back to the game and was passionate about helping young, underprivileged children to play golf, to use the game as a vehicle for social development, instilling the values associated to the practice of sport inherent in the founder: humility, effort, perseverance, resilient spirit, determination, integrity, tolerance and respect.The Seve Ballesteros courseThe Heritage a 72 par Championship golf course, was co-designed by Seve Ballesteros and Jeff Howes is set in the beautiful rolling countryside of Co. Laois, with the Slieve Bloom Mountains as a backdrop.This championship golf course provides the most enjoyable experience for golfers of all standards in Ireland. Construction on the golf course began back in June 2001, with what was once an open piece of farmland Ballesteros & Howes have created a gem that features all the flair you would expect from Seve.Five lakes and a stream meander through the course and brings water into play on 10 holes. Though some bunkers have been eliminated recently to help increase playability and reduce maintenance costs and others reduced in size, 98 beautifully shaped bunkers and 7,000 trees adorn the landscape, which is very gently undulating without any climbing involved.The variety of tees allows the course to be played from 5747 to 7319 yards and the limestone land ensures a magnificent playing surface all year round. There is an orthodox configuration of four par-fives, four par-threes and ten par-fours for an overall par of 72

The view at Belvoir Park

Cities aren’t normally associated with oases of tranquility but if you’ve ever enjoyed the idyllic beauty of the Tuileries Garden in Paris or the sense of metropolitan isolation offered by the Phoenix Park in Dublin, you will be ready for the treat that lies in store at Belvoir Park in Belfast.

It’s less that three miles from centre of Belfast to the gates of Belvoir Park, the Lagan Valley and the Belvoir Park Forest. That means it’s no more than a 10 minute drive down the famous Ormeau Road to a club, which was founded in 1927 and hosted the Irish Open in 1949 and 1953.

The beauty of Belvoir, as it is fondly called, is not just that it is a stunningly beautiful parkland course set on 136 acres of mature woodland or that it was designed by the great Henry Shapland  “Harry” Colt but it situated in the heart of the city.  

The par-three fourth is one of the great holes at Belvoir Park

It’s little wonder that Belvoir Park is one of the few Irish venues to have host Irish Open, Irish Professional Championship and the Irish Amateur Close — a distinction it shares with such revered Irish clubs as Royal Dublin, Cork, Portmarnock, Ballybunion, Woodbrook and Royal County Down.

The list of proud members is too long to mention here but suffice to say that the genial club manager, Mr Jim Cullen, was bursting with pride as he showed me the magnificent, panoramic view from the modern clubhouse.

While we have seen whales frolicking in the ocean off the coast of Co Kerry and the sun setting on the dunes of Portrush, it’s worth dropping in to Belvoir Park just to drink in the spectacular vista from the clubhouse.

If there is an Irish club with a more spectacular view of a cityscape — and I include Royal Dublin and Stackstown in this list — I have yet to see it.

Set high above the tree-lined course, the open plan club restaurant featuring a huge, curving window and balcony that has been christened “The View.”

Mature trees frame the holes at Belvoir Park

An informal yet stylising elegant place to enjoy lunch, dinner or a quiet drink after tour round, the view of Belfast from Cave Hill and the Divis and Black Mountains to the massive Harland and Wolff gantry cranes away to the east is something to behold.

The golf course can also take your breath away, not because there are a couple of testing little climbs — they’re nothing for a player in reasonable golfing shape — but because the holes are so wonderfully framed by the trees.

It wasn’t always this way, mind you. When Colt planned the course, he felt it was possible to make one that would “afford and excellent test” and at the same time “give the maximum pleasure to all players.”

It got out just after the ladies but there was golfers off all shapes and sizes swinging away as I made my way around on a glorious autumn day — pairs of old timers who seemed to zip through the holes with incredible rapidity; small groups of highly competitive looking women golfers who were far more skillful than I could ever hope to be; and nattily dressed three balls of younger professional types who’d snuck out of the office for a Friday afternoon treat.

And treat it is, especially from the medal tees I was foolish enough to try.

At 6,685 yards from the blues and 6,474 yards from the whites, Belvoir Park is a true championship challenge where you are required to strike the ball very well indeed to stay on pristine fairways and out of the many species of trees.

A 16th century demesne, once the property of Robert Bateson MP, it was traditional for guests to be invited to Belvoir Park for the shooting with rabbit, hare, quail and duck.

I came across more rabbits in the woods that eagles and birdies on the greens but while I had few successes — my Sunday best five-wood to the tough fourth t made the sanctuary off the putting surface only to trickle off the false front, 20 yards down the fairway — every hole was a thrill.

The 18th tree with the village of Newtownbreda in the background.

The par-three fourth, which measures close to 190 yards from the medal tees, is not for the faint-hearted with its myriad Colt bunkers.

As for the index one 12th, a muscular par four that sweeps right to left over a billowing fairway to an elevated green, anyone who makes their four here deserves champagne in the clubhouse afterwards

Sanctuary stands there on top of a hill on the outskirts of what is still the small village of Newtownbreda.

It calls to you home as you take on the fearsome last three holes — the wonderful par three 16th where Eric Brown made two en route to Irish Open glory — the tough 17th with its elevated green and the left to right curve of the 18th where the spire of the local church is a good line off the tee.

The finishing hole sets up for the right hander who fades. In my case, I wasn’t so much fading as flagging badly but the thought of a restorative drink and some good local company in “The View” kept me going right to the end of a magical parkland journey.

Brian Casey. Picture © Close House

And then there were two.

Twenty-eight Irish players entered the European Tour Qualifying School First Stage but just two made it all the way to the Final Stage with Open Championship hero Paul Dunne sensationally coming through at the sixth extra hole and Headfort’s Brian Casey topping his qualifier in wonderful stye.

With 18 places at the Final Stage on offer at each of the four Second Stage venues, the sad note was struck by Naas’ Walker Cup star Jack Hume, who closed with a sensational nine under 63 at Panorámica Golf and Sport Resort in Castellón to get into a six-man playoff for the final place only to go out with a bogey at the second extra hole.

Casey and Dunne now join Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie, Kevin Phelan, Simon Thornton and Ruaidhri McGee in the Final Stage, which begins at PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona on Saturday with the top 25 and ties after six rounds winning full European Tour cards on Thursday week.

Greystones star Dunne birdied the 18th for a four under 67 at Lumine Golf and Beach Club in Tarragona, eventually making a six-man playoff for two spots on 10 under par.

After Victor Riu birdied the first extra hole to claim the first of the two spots, the Irish star ended up in a head-to-head for the last place with South African Jaco Ahlers.

Brian Casey

Ahlers had chances from seven feet and four feet at the fourth and fifth extra holes respectively to end Dunne's dream and missed.

The golfing gods took note and when the 32-year old Sunshine Tour player carved a poor drive into trouble at the sixth extra hole — the 18th — and Dunne took advantage, firing a four iron to 30 feet before calmly two-putting for a winning birdie four and a place in the Final Stage.

“I thought if I birdied the last I might get into the playoff or I might even need an eagle,” Dunne said of his birdie at the 72nd hole.

“So I hit a two iron that can to 40 feet at the back of the green and two putted. I left myself about four and a half feet for my four but it was downhill and dead straight so it wasn’t too bad. I just got it started on line and it went in. Then there was a lot of waiting around.”

Six players eventually tied for 17th on 10 under which meant a playoff for two players between Dunne,Ahlers, Frenchman Victor Riu, Portugal’s Tiago Cruz and Spaniards Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Toni Ferrer.

Wasn't easy but delighted to get through second stage of Q School. Only took 6 playoff holes. Thanks for all the messages. #EuropeanTourCard

— Paul Dunne (@dunners11) November 9, 2015

Dunne takes us through the action:

“I was in the first three ball and we all made par. In the second threeball, Victor (Riu) made around a 40 footer for birdie so he got one spot. Another guy, I don’t recall his name, had a 12 footer for birdie to knock us all out and knocked it three feet past and missed it back. So that was him out.“There were four of us left, so we went down 18 for the second extra hole and I was last to hit my second after two of the guys hit it in the water. The other fella (Ahlers) was just short of the green and I hit my second right of the green because there is water left.“He didn’t hit a great pitch, 30 feet. I had a basic enough chip, a semi-flop but it got away from me a bit. He missed and I had a seven footer to win (with the other two players eliminated) but it broke more than I thought and missed on the right.“So we went down 10, both hit to 30 feet and two putted. We played 10 and 18 repeatedly. Then it was on to the 18th for the fourth extra hole.“I hit my second into a greenside bunker with a three iron and he hit rescue to about seven or eight feet. A great shot. I hit my bunker shot to four feet and he missed his putt and I holed mine. So back down 10 again and I hit it to 20 feet and he hit it to four feet."I just shaved the edge and he lipped out with his to win. So on 18, the sixth playoff hole, I hit the fairway and he hit it in the rough on the right and had to hack out and was about five yards ahead of me in two.“I hit four iron to 30 feet. I had a 30 footer for eagle and he had about a four footer for par so I just putted up to a foot and tapped for birdie.”

Paul Dunne at the Alfred Dunhill Links

Dunne shot rounds of 70, 66, 71 and 67 to finish on 10 under but wasn’t always happy with his putting.

“I played pretty similar all week,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I putted well, but I putted solid inside eight feet in the second and the fourth rounds. In the first and third rounds, I played well and just struggled a little bit on some shorter putts — the five and six footers. I think I missed seven or eight of them in the first and third rounds, so that was the difference in the scores really.“Definitely (pleasing to get through). I felt quite comfortable all day and in the playoff I felt quite relaxed as well. I went out today in a good mind frame, just trying to take care of my business and trying to let the result happen. “I was forcing it a bit and missing short putts so had to try and free myself up a little bit and relax into the round a little more and did a good job at that. I was really pleased.”If his performance in The Open played a part, he’s not sure. “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.“My overall feeling is one of some satisfaction and a bit of relief. I was satisfied with how I was mentally for the day. Yesterday I got really frustrated to miss putts for birdie, but I was in a better main frame today and it was great to get through. Next week it starts again and hopefully I can putt well and hit it well all week.”

@DanielGavins Wins @LumineGolf with an inspiring total -19. Shakes hands with Director of Golf, Cesar Burguiere #QS pic.twitter.com/QkTr5p0zKM

— EuropeanTourQSchool (@ETQSchool) November 9, 2015

Naas ace Hume found his putting touch too late and while he shot a nine under 63 to make a six man playoff for the 18th and last spot at Panorámica Golf and Sport Resort in Castellón on 11 under par, he bogeyed the second extra hole and Spain’s Emilio Cuartero Blanco progressed.

“I played lovely,” Hume said of his eagle and seven birdies for the joint best round of the day.  “But there were six of us for one spot and while we all pared the 15th, three of us bogeyed the next hole and we were out and the other three made pars and went on.”

Hume ended up making birdie at the 17th to take the fourth reserve spot but added: “I left so many shots out there in the first few rounds it was very frustrating. I

“I did a good bit of work on the range yesterday evening and felt very good. Then I just needed to get my putter going because that was the story of the week.

“So I did an hour on the putting green before I went of and just found something. I felt really good on the greens. 

“It’s frustrating to miss out considering the amount of shots I left out there. But at the same time it was a great round today.”

Still an amateur, Dunne sounded unsure about what to do now with a move into the pro ranks clearly a possibility.

“I will sit down now and reflect over the next few weeks on what to do. It all depends on how many starts I could get. It’s up in the air for the moment.” 

If Hume had mixed feelings about his week, Headfort man Casey was ecstatic after brilliantly topped the qualifiers at the same Panorámica venue, closing with a five under 67 to share top spot on 24 under par with American amateur Scott Fernandez.

“It’s an odd, strange feeling to shoot 24 under but it’s great,” Casey said. “The course suited me and last week’s Europro Tour Grand Final was a great build up. It’s my fourth time at Q-School and I have never been past the cut at First Stage before. So to get to the Final Stage is a big move.

“It’s been coming. I feel good about my game and it’s an important time of the year to be playing well.”

Mayor of Sant Jordi, Ivan Sanchez with Brian casey, Scott Fernandez & Francisco Jimenez Perez, GM @GolfPanoramica pic.twitter.com/12objmd6g1

— EuropeanTourQSchool (@ETQSchool) November 9, 2015

Casey swapped the Alps Tour for the Europro Tour to be nearer his English girlfriend and it appears to have paid dividends, making his a happier person and a better player. 

“I am more mature as a person and worked a little harder,” he said “I know am far from the finished article and I am going to push hard this winter no matter what happens at Final Stage.”

Not my week this week but lots to learn from it! Lot of hard practice over coming months!Been a good year overall!Looking forward to 2016

— Gavin Moynihan (@GavinMoynihan) November 9, 2015

Wasn't to be this week at Stage 2, played some really good all week and got off to a great start,but unfortunately the putter went cold.

— Colm Campbell (@ColmCampbell87) November 9, 2015

Warrenpoint's Colm Campbell (69) tied for 44th, six shots outside the 11 under par qualifying at the same venue while Clandeboye’s Jonny Caldwell withdrew before the start as he was four over through 54 holes.

There was no luck for Hume and Dunne's fellow international and Walker Cup team mates Gavin Moynihan or Gary Hurley.

Hurley closed with a level par 71 and missed out on a playoff spot by three shots at Lumine with Alan Dunbar (69) to finish a shot further back.

@jimmymullen59 Wins his first event as a Pro @ElSaler_Golf congratulated by Francisco Contreras, Director of golf. pic.twitter.com/4sSyoqDGJM

— EuropeanTourQSchool (@ETQSchool) November 9, 2015

English Walker Cup star Jimmy Mullen topped the qualifiers by four shots on 16 under at El Saler where Moynihan, undone by an 80 on Sunday, finished on eight over after a closing 75.

Germany’s Philipp Mejow topped the qualifiers at Las Colinas Golf and Country Club in Alicante by four shots on 17 under par as Headfort’s Rory McNamara (73) finished 11 shots outside the mark on five over.

Banbridge’s Richard Kilpatrick, who was 10 over starting the day, retired.

Philipp Mejow steals the show @lascolinasgolf with -17. Pictured with runner ups @marcuskinhult & Jamie Rutherford pic.twitter.com/6NQp5giNes

— EuropeanTourQSchool (@ETQSchool) November 9, 2015 EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL 2015SECOND QUALIFYING STAGE  

Campo de Golf El Saler, Valencia (18th place qualified on -3)

• 1 (1) Jimmy MULLEN England 69 65 70 69 (-15)
• T51 (T53) (T15) (T3) Gavin MOYNIHAN The Island GC 68 73 80 75 (+8) DID NOT QUALIFY
• T56 (T40) (T60) (T61) Michael McGEADY Northwest GC 76 73 69 80 (+10) DID NOT QUALIFY
• RET (T5) (T17) Chris SELFRIDGE Moyola Park 70 69 RETIRED INJURED (-5) DID NOT QUALIFY

Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, Alicante (18th qualified on -6)

• 1 (3) Phillipp MEJOW Germany 64 69 68 66 (-17)
• T52 (T54) (T46) (T56) Rory MCNAMARA La Cala Resort 73 70 73 73 (+5) DID NOT QUALIFY
• RET (T66) (T46) (T42) Richard KILPATRICK Banbridge GC 71 72 80 RET (+10) DID NOT QUALIFY

Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort, Castellón (18th -11, 6 man playoff for 1 spot)

• T1 (2) (3) (3) Brian CASEY Headfort GC 65 68 64 67 (-24) Qualified
• T1 (1) Scott FERNANDEZ USA *Am 62 66 67 69 (-24)
• T18 (T44) (T41) (T48) Jack HUME (AM) Naas GC 72 70 72 63 (-11) DID NOT QUALIFY
• T44 (T44) (T54) (T13) Colm CAMPBELL JNR (AM) Warrenpoint 68 76 70 69 (-5) DID NOT QUALIFY
• WD (T69) (T46) (T13) Jonathan CALDWELL Clandeboye GC 68 75 77 WD (+4) DID NOT QUALIFY

Lumine Golf & Beach Club, Tarragona (17th -10 6 man playoff for 2 spots)

• 1 (T1) Daniel GAVINS Eng 68 67 64 66 (-19)
• T17 (T25) (T13) (T39) Paul DUNNE Hartl Resort, Bad Griesbach 70 66 71 67 (-10) Qualified (6th extra hole)
• T29 (T21) (T31) (T14) Gary HURLEY West Waterford GC 68 70 68 71 (-7) DID NOT QUALIFY
• T38 (T38) (T34) (T14) Alan DUNBAR Team Ireland 68 71 70 69 (-6) DID NOT QUALIFY

FIRST STAGESEP 15-18  FIRST QUALIFYING STAGE SECTION A THE ROXBURGHE HOTEL & GOLF COURSE, KELSO, UK

1. Richard BRIDGES DID NOT QUALIFY
2. Jonathan CALDWELL Clandeboye GC Qualified
3. Colm CAMPBELL JNR (AM) Qualified
4. Brian CASEY Headfort GC  Qualified
5. Alan DUNBAR Team Ireland Qualified
6. Gary HURLEY West Waterford GC Qualified
7. Richard KILPATRICK Banbridge GC  Qualified
8. Dermot MCELROY (AM) Ballymena GC DID NOT QUALIFY
9. Rory MCNAMARA La Cala Resort  Qualified
10. Richard O’DONOVAN Lucan GC DID NOT QUALIFY
11. Simon WARD Belvoir Park DID NOT QUALIFY

SEP 15-18 FIRST QUALIFYING STAGE SECTION A FLEESENSEE, GERMANY

1. Stephen GRANT Mount Juliet GC DID NOT QUALIFY

SEP 22-25 FIRST QUALIFYING STAGE SECTION B COLLINGTREE PARK, NORTHAMPTON, UK

1. Ciaran BOGGAN Co Meath Golf Club DID NOT QUALIFY
2. Eamonn BRADY Clontarf GC DID NOT QUALIFY
3. JD GUINEY Ballybunion GC DID NOT QUALIFY
4. Peter MCGIBNEY DID NOT QUALIFY
5. Richard WELDON Killeen Castle GC DID NOT QUALIFY
6. Reeve WHITSON Royal County Down G.C. DID NOT QUALIFY

SEP 22-25 FIRST QUALIFYING STAGE SECTION B EBREICHSDORF, GOLFCLUB SCHLOSS EBREICHSDORF, AUSTRIA

1. Paul DUNNE Qualified
2. Jack HUME (AM) Naas GC Qualified

SEP 29-OCT 02 FIRST QUALIFYING STAGE SECTION C GOLF D’HARDELOT, FRANCE

1. Michael McGEADY Northwest GC Qualified

SEP 29-OCT 02 FIRST QUALIFYING STAGE SECTION C RIBAGOLFE, LISBON, PORTUGAL

1. David CAREY DID NOT QUALIFY
2. Jonathan MALLON DID NOT QUALIFY
3. Brendan McCARROLL Team Ireland DID NOT QUALIFY
4. Gavin MOYNIHAN The Island GC Qualified
5. Tim RICE Limerick GC DID NOT QUALIFY

OCT 06-09 FIRST QUALIFYING STAGE SECTION D FRILFORD HEATH RED, ABINGDON, UK

1. John Ross GALBRAITH (AM) Whitehead DID NOT QUALIFY
2. David RAWLUK The Island GC DID NOT QUALIFY

OCT 06-09 FIRST QUALIFYING STAGE SECTION D CIRCOLO GOLF BOGOGNO, ITALY

1. No Irish

Paul Dunne. Copyright USGA/Chris Keane

ADVANCE - Jack Hume closed with a nine under 63 but missed out in a playoff as Paul Dunne came through at the sixth extra hole and Brian Casey topped his qualifier to come through the Second Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School.

Casey and Dunne now join Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie, Kevin Phelan, Simon Thornton and Ruaidhri McGee at the Final Stage, which tees off at PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona on Saturday with the top 25 and ties after six rounds winning full cards.

With 18 places at the Final Stage on offer at each of the four Second Stage venues, Dunne closed with a four under 67 at Lumine Golf and Beach Club in Tarragona and after a long wait, eventually made a six-man playoff for the last two spots there on 10 under par.

He'd birdied the par-five 18th just to make the playoff, holing a four and a half footer for his four. 

After Victor Riu took the first spot, Dunne dodged several bullet before eventually edging out South African Jaco Ahlers for the final spot with a two-putt birdie four at the sixth extra hole. 

Hume shot a nine under 63 to make a six man playoff for the 18th and last spot at Panorámica Golf and Sport Resort in Castellón on 11 under par. But he lost out at at the second extra hole at a  venue where Casey brilliantly topped the qualifiers, closing with a 67 to share first place on 24 under par.

Warrenpoint's Colm Campbell (69) tied for 44th, six shots outside the mark on five under while Jonny Caldwell withdrew before the start as we as four over through 54 holes.

There was no luck for Hume and Dunne's fellow Irishmen and Walker Cup team mates Gavin Moynihan or Gary Hurley.

Hurley missed out of a playoff spot by three shots at Lumine, closing with a level par 71 to finish on seven under with Alan Dunbar a shot further back after a 69.

Walker Cup star Jimmy Mullen topped the qualifiers by four shots on 16 under at El Saler where Moynihan, undone by an 80 on Sunday, finished on eight over after a closing 75.

Mick McGeady (80) tied for 56th on 10 over at a venue where Chris Selfridge was forced to withdraw with a wrist injury on Sunday morning when running fifth.

Germany's Phillipp Mejow topped the qualifiers at Las Colinas Golf and Country Club in Alicante by four shots on 17 under par.

The qualifying mark fell at six under par with Headfort's Rory McNamara 11 shots outside on five over while Richard Kilpatrick was 10 over and withdrew before the start.

Golfbreaks.ie has been named at the World Golf Awards in Portugal as “Best Outbound Golf Tour Operator from Ireland.”

Speaking at the presentation of the award, Golfbreaks.ie Managing Director John Bergin said: “We are delighted to be recognised for the pioneering approach we have taken to the Irish outbound golf market over the past number of years.”

John Bergin with World Golf Awards host, Steve Rider

He added: “We have invested heavily in ensuring our customers are assisted by a team that are golfers first and sales people second. This approach has paid dividends in ensuring we deliver the right offering to the right customers who return to us year on year.”

A glittering ceremony held at the Conrad Hilton on Portugal's Algarve saw Golfbreaks.ie trump a total of twelve nominees in the category. World Golf Awards serves to celebrate and reward excellence in golf tourism, world class courses and golf destinations.

Speaking from their Dublin head office, Sales Manager Ross Melody, said: “Our receipt of this award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of our team.”

The company further announced ambitious growth plans for the coming year including additional courses, early booking offers and a range of great value group offers which are available at www.golfbreaks.ie or by calling 01 6975734.

Brian Casey in action on the EuroProTour.com earlier this year

Headfort’s Brian Casey is only Irishman inside the qualifying places after a disastrous third day for the green army at the Second Stage of the Qualifying School in Spain.

An extraordinary Casey made nine birdies in an eight under 64 at Panorámica Golf and Sport Resort in Castellón to move up one spot to second place on 19 under, two strokes behind American amateur Scott Fernandez.

With 18 spots in next weekend’s Final Stage on offer at each of the four venues, the rest of the Irish are outside the magic number though there is still hope for some.

West Waterford’s Gary Hurley hit a three 68 to move up 16 places to tied 21st on seven under at Lumine Golf and Beach Club in Tarragona and is just one shot outside the Top 18.

His close pal, Open Championship hero Paul Dunne, shot a level par 71 at the same venue, leaving him on two shots outside the mark on six under in joint 25th with Rathmore’s Alan Dunbar (70) tied 38th on four under.

The season is over for Moyola Park’s Chris Selfridge, however, after he tweaked his wrist on the range at El Saler when lying fifth overnight and was forced to withdraw before the start.

"I'm not sure what happened and it's really upsetting but these things happen," said a disconsolate Selfridge, who will concentrate on getting his card via the Challenge Tour rankings next year. “I just hurt it on the range, tried to play but it was impossible.”

Walker Cup star Gavin Moynihan crashed to an eight over 80 at the Valencia venue and at five over par, he’ll need a round in the low 60s to progress to the Final Stage next weekend.

The two-time Irish Amateur Open champion from The Island dropped five shots in his first six holes and while he birdied the ninth, he double bogeyed the 15th and 16th and tied 53rd, eight shots outside the qualifying places.

A 69 for Derry’s Mick McGeady leaves him five shots outside the three under par qualifying mark at El Saler, where English Walker Cup player Jimmy Mullen leads on 12 under.

Europro Tour regular Casey opened with a 65 at Panorámica, followed up with a 68 and then took his birdie haul for the week to 23 with his 64 yesterday.

If he makes it it PGA Catalunya Resort for the Final Stage, 24-year old should find the Girona venue to his liking having finished tied for eighth in an ECCO Tour event there in March, carding a 72 on the Stadium Course and rounds of 68 and 64 on the less demanding Tour Course.

The former Mullingar Scratch Cup winner's professional career has been one of steady progression and is all the more remarkable considering he has had to overcome a stammer.

He certainly appears to have the game to compete, finishing tied 42nd on his European Tour debut in the M2M Russian Open in September.

Naas’ Jack Hume, another Walker Cup player, shot 72 at the same venue and looks out of the running in 44th, seven strokes outside the qualifying mark on two under alongside Irish amateur team mate Colm Campbell from Warrenpoint, who shot a 70.

At Las Colinas Golf and Country Club in Alicante, Headfort’s Rory McNamara (73) is nine outside the qualifying mark on three over with Banbridge’s Richard Kilpatrick 10 over following an 80.

2015 EUROPEAN TOUR SECOND QUALIFYING STAGE  

Campo de Golf El Saler, Valencia (18th -3)

• 1 Jimmy MULLEN England 69 65 70 (-12)
• T40 (T60) (T61) Michael McGEADY Northwest GC 76 73 69 (+2)
• T53 (T15) (T3) Gavin MOYNIHAN The Island GC 68 73 80 (+5)
• RET (T5) (T17) Chris SELFRIDGE Moyola Park 70 69 RET (-5)

Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, Alicante (18th -6)

• T1 Marcus KINHUT Sweden *Am 67 66 67 (-13)
• T1 Jamie RUTHERFORD Eng 67 65 68 (-13)
• T54 (T46) (T56) Rory MCNAMARA La Cala Resort 73 70 73 (+3)
• T66 (T46) (T42) Richard KILPATRICK Banbridge GC 71 72 80 (+10)

Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort, Castellón (18th -9)

• 1 Scott FERNANDEZ USA *Am 62 66 67 (-21)
• 2 (3) (3) Brian CASEY Headfort GC 65 68 64 (-19)
• T44 (T54) (T13) Colm CAMPBELL JNR (AM) Warrenpoint 68 76 70 (-2)
• T44 (T41) (T48) Jack HUME (AM) Naas GC 72 70 72 (-2)
• T69 (T46) (T13) Jonathan CALDWELL Clandeboye GC 68 75 77 (+4)

Lumine Golf & Beach Club, Tarragona (18th -8)

• T1 Daniel GAVINS Eng 68 67 64 (-14)
• T1 Matt WALLACE Eng 66 66 67 (-14)
• T21 (T31) (T14) Gary HURLEY West Waterford GC 68 70 68 (-7)
• T25 (T13) (T39) Paul DUNNE Hartl Resort, Bad Griesbach 70 66 71 (-6)
• T38 (T34) (T14) Alan DUNBAR Team Ireland 68 71 70  (-4)

 

Niall Kearney hits one close at the 17th

Niall Kearney began his bid to establish himself on the Asian Tour by hitting 16 greens in regulation to snatch a share of 20th in the Panasonic India Open in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI- INDIA – Chiragh Kumar of India pictured with the winner’s trophy on Sunday November 8, 2015 during the final round of the Panasonic Open India at the Delhi Golf Club. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

The double Irish PGA champion opened his final round at Delhi Golf Club with an eagle three, then added three birdies and just one bogey in a four under 68 that left him on four under par and move him to 186th in the money list.

The Dubliner ended the week nine strokes adrift of Chiragh Kumar, who shot a 70 to win by three shots from Thailand's Thorn Wiratchant (69) and Bangladesh's Siddikur Rahman (72) on 13 under par.

Kearney earned €4,353 while Muskerry's was 41st on three over after a closing 70 and earned $2,300 to lie 54th in the Order of Merit with $49,635 from five starts

Kumar, who clinched his first Asian Tour title as well as $72,000, was elated, commenting: "Winning an Asian Tour event means a lot to me. It is so special for me to win here.

"It is like a dream come true. This is the best thing that can happen to me. Everybody knows me at this club so it is very special to win."

Chris Selfridge

Chris Selfridge's magnificent rookie season ended horribly on the range in Valencia today when he hurt his wrist warming up and was forced to retire before the third round of his Second Stage European Tour Qualifier at El Saler.

The Moyola Park touring professional, 23, was tied for fifth place on five under at halfway and in with a great chance of claiming one of 18 spots from that venue in the Final Stage, which tees off next weekend at PGA Catalunya Resort.

Instead, the former University of Toledo man is heading home to rest and recover for a second bite of the cherry on the Challenge Tour in 2016, where he finished 52nd in the Road to Oman rankings by claiming cheques from each of his 12 starts this year.

"I'm not sure what happened and it's really upsetting but these things happen," a disconsolate Selfridge reported from El Saler. "I just hurt it on the range, tried to play but it was impossible.

"I have a full Challenge Tour category so I guess I will just focus now on getting fit for next season and chasing that Top 15 spot and a European Tour card through that route."

It's been a disappointing last few weeks for the former Irish Close, East of Ireland and two time North of Ireland winner, who looked destined to make the season-ending NBO Golf Classic Grand Final but missed out by little more €9,000 after a poor finish in his final event in China, The Foshan Open.

Forced to head to the Second Stage of Q-School as a result, he shot rounds of 70 and 69 at El Saler to sit comfortably inside the top 18 heading into today's third round when disaster struck.

2015 EUROPEAN TOUR SECOND QUALIFYING STAGE    NOVEMBER 6-9

Campo de Golf El Saler, Valencia

• T15 (T3) Gavin MOYNIHAN The Island GC 68 73 (-3)
• T60 (T61) Michael McGEADY Northwest GC 76 73 (+5)
• RET T5 (T17) Chris SELFRIDGE Moyola Park 70 69 RET (-5)

Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, Alicante

• T46 (T56) Rory MCNAMARA La Cala Resort 73 70 (+1)
• T46 (T42) Richard KILPATRICK Banbridge GC 71 72 (+1)

Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort, Castellón

• 3 (3) Brian CASEY Headfort GC 65 68 (-11)
• T41 (T48) Jack HUME (AM) Naas GC 72 70 (-2)
• T46 (T13) Jonathan CALDWELL Clandeboye GC 68 75 (-1)
• T54 (T13) Colm CAMPBELL JNR (AM) Warrenpoint 68 76 (E)

Lumine Golf & Beach Club, Tarragona

• T13 (T39) Paul DUNNE Hartl Resort, Bad Griesbach 70 66 (-6)
• T31 (T14) Gary HURLEY West Waterford GC 68 70 (-4)
• T34 (T14) Alan DUNBAR Team Ireland 68 71 (-3)

 

Danny Willett. Picture: Getty Images

The combination of a fortuitious ankle injury, a dose of food poisoning and some very erratic putting have put Rory McIlroy's hopes of a third Race to Dubai title in four years in some doubt.

Despite closing with a 66 in Shanghai to finish tied for 11th behind surprise winner Russell Knox of Scotland, McIlroy saw Danny Willett pile the pressure on with a stunning final round of 62 in the WGC-HSBC Champions that cut his lead from 400,000 to a negligible 74,214 Race to Dubai points

Willett surged through the field at Sheshan International Golf Club with ten unanswered birdies – including four in a row from the first – to finish in a tie for third place and secure his best result in a World Golf Championship stroke play event.

With McIlroy's delicate physical condition making it impossible for him to play the BMW Masters and therefore fulfil the minimum event requirement to keep his European Tour membership and contest the Race to Dubai finale in a fortnight, he's fortunate that CEO Keith Pelley has given him a special dispensation that keeps the Race to Dubai excitement alive.

It was the only commercial decision Pelley could take, though it makes a mockery of the tour's rules.

Best moments from a memorable final day: https://t.co/izAvE9RJN9 pic.twitter.com/HKW0c1VSBM

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 8, 2015

Willett is not complaining about the executive decision as he now moves on to play in next week’s BMW Masters needing only a top 25 finish at Lake Malaren Golf Club to overtake Irishman McIlroy at the top of the Race to Dubai rankings. 

Willett said: “This could be a very big result for me. With Rory not playing next week, I could gain a few more points on him and give us a nice buzz going into the final week into Dubai.

“I’ve been determined all year, ever since I got to number one straight off the bat at the Nedbank. I though, it would be good to stay up there all year.

"After that big win, I kept pressing hard and I’ve been able to post some really good numbers around the world. Hopefully I can keep that going for two more weeks.”

McIlroy could do little more than say that he's looking forward to going for the win in Dubai in a fortnight and his third Race to Dubai title in four years.

He said: “I saw Danny got off to a great start and then he kept it going. It’s a great round of golf, and it keeps The Race to Dubai very exciting. 

“He’s got a great chance to do something next week at the BMW [Masters]. He’s obviously playing very well, so he has a great chance to creep up on me or even overtake me.

"This is going to take a long time to sink in." pic.twitter.com/jf1TwC2GeY

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 8, 2015

“But I still rate my chances. I obviously know the [Earth] course very well and Dubai is a bit of a second home for me, plus I’m going for the double after winning there earlier in the season [in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic].

“So I’m looking forward to it. I always enjoy it there, and I’ve obviously done well there before. So I just need to go there and try and get the win, and hopefully that will be enough.”

Criticising McIlroy's putting feels a bit like saying Miss World went a bit heavy on the mascara, but it is no coincidence that his best round of the week came on the same day he had just 28 putts.

The County Down man ended up 30th in the field for putts per green in regulation according to the European Tour (the PGA Tour ranked him 33rd), as well as 62 for putts per round.

"I played well today," McIlroy said. "I feel like I played very similarly to the way I played the last three days. I held a couple more putts and I was very solid from tee-to-green... I felt like I could have been even lower but reflects how I played, not just today but over the course of the week.

.@McIlroyRory from way downtown! https://t.co/bnQ6l6JweH

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 8, 2015

"This week has just been about the putts that haven't went in and that's sort of what my last few weeks have felt like, as well.

"I felt like I played good enough to be in contention and win. I just haven't held enough putts. But it was nice to finish this way and try and get ready for Dubai in a couple weeks. 

"I feel like I played well enough to win this week. I just didn't hole enough putts and that's sort of been the story of my season, well, at least, for the last couple of months anyway.

"But it's getting better. I feel like every tournament I play, I'm getting a little bit better and hopefully I can continue in that trend and go into Dubai and play well again."

Shane Lowry closed with a one under 71 and remained third in the Race to Dubai despite picking up just € 38,272 for his share fo 68th in the 78 man field.

His final round had more colour than a Van Gogh, — seven birdies, one bogey, one double bogey and a triple bogey eight at the 14th, his fifth.

Given his birdie count, the Clara man finally found something with the putter in the last round, taking just 28 putts having averaged more than 35 for the first three rounds.

Perhaps it was completely giving up the ghost after finishing himself 21 shots off the lead on Saturday night that finally did it.

So just the 21 behind going into tomorrow..... Stranger things have happened.

— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) November 7, 2015

Either way, Lowry still has three more great chances to win again this season — Lake Malaren, Dubai and the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

As for 30-year old Knox, his first tour victory was a fairytale story as he got into the field at the last minute and became the first player to ever win a World Golf Championships on their debut.

Knox held off spirited challenges from a host of rivals on the final day to become the first Scotsman to win a World Golf Championship event and earn his maiden European Tour victory. 

Knox had to return to Sheshan International Golf Course at 7.45am on Sunday morning to complete the final hole of his third round, which he duly birdied, before beginning his final round with two gains in three holes to establish a lead which he would not relinquish.

A closing round of 68 for a 20 under par aggregate total secured victory by two shots from American Kevin Kisner, and earned the Inverness native €1,264,450 plus a position in the top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

Victory completed a remarkable ten days for Knox, who only discovered he was in the tournament after JB Holmes withdrew last Thursday.  

Kisner birdied the last hole to sign for a round of 70 and an 18 under par total, while third place was shared between the English duo of Ross Fisher (68) and Willett, who rampaged through the field with a superb round of 62.

McIlroy ended a frustrating week on a high note, holing a long birdie putt on the final green to card a round of 66 and take a share of 11th place on 14 under par. 

Home hero Li Hao-tong treated his legion of fans to thrills and spills a plenty, closing with a round of 72 which included five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey seven at the second hole.

Li’s tied seventh finish alongside Jordan Spieth, who returned to the World Number One spot, was the best performance by a Chinese player in a WGC event. 

Russell Knox, 68 (-20)“It’s incredible. I always hoped it (a win) was going to happen but you're just never sure. There’s just so many unbelievable players on tours all around the world and to win on this stage is a dream come true. I still can’t quite believe it.“Deep down in my bones I felt I was capable of winning. I thought it was going to be maybe another year, but I’m glad it happened now.”

Russell Knox. Picture: Getty Images

Danny Willett, 62 (-17)“It’s very special. It’s special shooting 62 at home with the lads, but in a World Golf Championship on a Sunday when it means something a bit more, obviously it’s that little bit more special.“It could be big for me in the Race to Dubai, especially with Rory not playing next week, we could climb a few more points on him and give us a nice buzz going into the next week into Dubai.”Ross Fisher, 68 (-17)“I’m obviously delighted. It was a shame to come up a little bit shy, but I gave it a good go. I felt like I played some really good golf. I gave myself a lot of looks at birdie. And then made a few good par putts on the front nine to keep me in it.“I lost in a play-off here a few years ago, which was one I probably let slip a little bit. I learned from those experiences. And it’s just nice to be in the mix in such a big tournament. I’ve missed the buzz, the adrenaline, and that’s what we live to play this game for. We want to be in the mix.”Li Hao-tong, 72 (-15)“The first five holes gave me a hard time, but I was lucky to make a lot of birdies on the back nine and get up-and-down a lot. I think today is my most up-and-down round of the year. It is incredible for me this week. This for me is very, very big.”Rory McIlroy, 66 (-14)“I feel like I played well enough to win this week. I just didn't hole enough putts and that's sort of been the story of my season, well, at least, for the last couple of months anyway. But it's getting better. I feel like every tournament I play, I'm getting a little bit better and hopefully I can continue in that trend and go into Dubai and play well again.”

That's how you win a new @Cadillac! https://t.co/8aPgXjxtgV

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 8, 2015 Final round scores

268 R Knox (Sco) 67 65 68 68,

270 K Kisner (USA) 64 66 70 70,

271 R Fisher (Eng) 69 69 65 68, D Willett (Eng) 65 74 70 62,

272 D Johnson (USA) 65 71 65 71, B Grace (RSA) 63 71 70 68,

273 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 68 69 69 67, J Spieth (USA) 68 72 63 70, P Reed (USA) 65 70 68 70, L Haotong (Chn) 66 69 66 72,

274 M Leishman (Aus) 69 72 65 68, H Stenson (Swe) 69 72 66 67, D Berger (USA) 68 71 69 66, T Jaidee (Tha) 72 68 66 68, Rory McIlroy (Nir) 68 72 68 66, S Garcia (Esp) 68 70 68 68,

275 R Fowler (USA) 68 72 68 67, B Wiesberger (Aut) 70 66 69 70,

277 T Olesen (Den) 64 74 66 73, S Hend (Aus) 68 69 67 73, B An (Kor) 69 68 68 72, H Mahan (USA) 68 68 71 70,

278 P Casey (Eng) 67 72 71 68, G Woodland (USA) 69 71 73 65, H English (USA) 67 71 70 70, T Pieters (Bel) 67 71 71 69,

279 K Kim (Kor) 74 71 68 66, J Thomas (USA) 72 69 70 68, J Morrison (Eng) 69 70 68 72,

280 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 69 70 70 71, T Fleetwood (Eng) 67 71 72 70, I Poulter (Eng) 72 71 70 67, M Kaymer (Ger) 69 71 73 67, D Howell (Eng) 73 68 69 70,

281 S Piercy (USA) 70 73 66 72, C Schwartzel (RSA) 68 72 69 72, E Grillo (Arg) 69 71 69 72, R Streb (USA) 73 69 68 71, B Watson (USA) 68 73 68 72,

282 S Bowditch (Aus) 64 75 68 75, L Donald (Eng) 71 69 70 72, A Lahiri (Ind) 70 75 66 71, M Jones (Aus) 74 70 68 70,

283 L Oosthuizen (RSA) 68 69 73 73, D Summerhays (USA) 68 74 67 74,

284 Z Xinjun (Chn) 67 72 73 72, S Chawrasia (Ind) 69 72 71 72, M Jiménez (Esp) 73 72 70 69, S Kjeldsen (Den) 68 71 70 75, R Lee (Can) 68 72 73 71,

285 D Zecheng (Chn) 70 71 73 71, C Wood (Eng) 68 76 69 72, L Westwood (Eng) 72 69 71 73,

286 T Aiken (RSA) 70 71 73 72, A Noren (Swe) 70 76 66 74, T Hatton (Eng) 70 76 70 70,

287 K Na (USA) 72 72 72 71,

288 L Wenchong (Chn) 71 73 73 71, G Chalmers (Aus) 73 73 69 73, D Lee (Nzl) 71 73 71 73, W Ashun (Chn) 69 74 72 73, N Cullen (Aus) 74 71 70 73, T Fisher Jnr (RSA) 67 74 70 77, 

289 H Iwata (Jpn) 70 77 69 73, A Sullivan (Eng) 70 74 70 75, C Smith (Aus) 71 73 70 75,

290 D Chia (Mas) 72 73 74 71,

292 A Dodt (Aus) 70 80 76 66, Shane Lowry (Irl) 74 75 72 71, 

293 A Scott (Aus) 75 76 72 70,

294 S Kodaira (Jpn) 74 76 76 68,

295 D Van Tonder (RSA) 77 73 71 74, D Lingmerth (Swe) 70 72 76 77,

297 C Yi (Chn) 70 78 71 78,

301 S Jeffress (Aus) 76 78 73 74,

303 C Kirk (USA) 71 79 74 79, M Warren (Sco) 75 74 81 73,

** H Matsuyama (Jpn) 71 73 RT 0

Paul Dunne practicing for the Walker Cup at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. © USGA/Chris Keane

Greystones Paul Dunne fired a five under 66 to ignite his European Tour card quest midway through the Second Qualifying Stage at Lumine Golf and Beach Club in Tarragona.

The Open Championship hero is one of 12 Irishmen hoping to capture one of 18 places on offer at each of the four Spanish venues for next week's Final Stage in Girona next weekend and so far only the former UAB man, Moyola Park's Chris Selfridge, The Island's Gavin Moynihan and Headfort's Brian Casey are in position to progress to the Final Stage, which starts next weekend.

Like the rest of the 267 Second Stage hopefuls, Dunne is praying he can come through this week's examination and he took a giant step in the second round, firing six birdies and just one bogey in a 66 that catapulted him 26 places up the leaderboard to tied 13th.

Dunne is inside the magic qualifying number with 36 holes remaining though his Walker Cup team mate Gary Hurley needed two late birdies to card a one under 70 and still slipped 17 places from 14th to 31st 

Alan Dunbar shot a level par 71 at the same venue but crashed 20 places to tied 34th on three under.

It was also a mixed day for the Irish at the other three venues with just four of the other nine entrants breaking par.

At El Saler in Valencia, Selfridge posted a three under 69 to move up to tied fifth on five under as Moynihan fell 12 places to tied 15th after a 73.

Mick McGeady's hopes looked slim now after a 73 left him a long way from qualifying on five over while at Las Colinas in Alicante, Rory McNamara (70) and Richard Kilpatrick (72) are in trouble at tied 46th on one over.

 

Four Irishmen are in action at Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort in Castellan where Headfort's Brian Casey lies solo third on 11 under after he added a 68 to his opening 65.

The other three have a lot of work to do with Naas amateur and Walker Cup player Jack Hume (70) tied 41st on two under, Jonny Caldwell (75) 46th on one under and amateur Colm Campbell falling 31 places from 13th to 54th on level par.

2015 EUROPEAN TOUR SECOND QUALIFYING STAGE SCHEDULE    NOVEMBER 6-9

Campo de Golf El Saler, Valencia

• T5 (T17) Chris SELFRIDGE Moyola Park 70 69 (-5)
• T15 (T3) Gavin MOYNIHAN The Island GC 68 73 (-3)
• T60 (T61) Michael McGEADY Northwest GC 76 73 (+5)

Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, Alicante

• T46 (T56) Rory MCNAMARA La Cala Resort 73 70 (+1)
• T46 (T42) Richard KILPATRICK Banbridge GC 71 72 (+1)

Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort, Castellón

• 3 (3) Brian CASEY Headfort GC 65 68 (-11)
• T41 (T48) Jack HUME (AM) Naas GC 72 70 (-2)
• T46 (T13) Jonathan CALDWELL Clandeboye GC 68 75 (-1)
• T54 (T13) Colm CAMPBELL JNR (AM) Warrenpoint 68 76 (E)

Lumine Golf & Beach Club, Tarragona

• T13 (T39) Paul DUNNE Hartl Resort, Bad Griesbach 70 66 (-6)
• T31 (T14) Gary HURLEY West Waterford GC 68 70 (-4)
• T34 (T14) Alan DUNBAR Team Ireland 68 71 (-3)