It’s a golden opportunity for Conor Purcell, Cormac Sharvin, Mark Power, Max Kennedy and John Ross Galbraith to join the likes of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Tom McKibbin and Pádraig Harrington in the big time next season,
Galway’s Liam Nolan could have teed it up at Infinitum in Tarragona on Friday after making the top 45 in the HotelPlanner Tour rankings.
He’s opted instead to repair his body and his swing after a long year and focus instead on the second-tier tour next season, when just 15 cards will be on offer.
Like the rest of Ireland’s up-and-coming pros, Nolan hears the gloomy talk about the diminishing number of Irish players on the DP World Tour with McKibbin the only player under 30 with a card.
But it’s now a far deeper and more competitive circuit than it was in the 1990s and 2000s, and certainly a far cry from the 1980s, when Philip Walton got his card by finishing 15th in Carroll’s Irish Open.
As the game’s stars tee it up in Abu Dhabi and Dubai this week and next, Ireland’s quintet of hopefuls join another 151 players, including proven winners such as Eddie Pepperell, Chris Wood, Lucas Bjerregaard and Marc Warren, in playing two rounds at Infinitum’s Lakes and Hills courses in Tarragona.
Those who make the 72-hole cut for the top 60 and ties will receive HotelPlanner Tour status, but the goal is to finish in the top 20 and ties after a further 36 holes and secure DP World Tour cards.
Nolan hopes to win his stripes via the second-tier tour next year, and he’s not buying into the doom and gloom about the gap between Ireland’s big stars and the young guns.
“I do think it is cyclical, because I saw it all the time in amateur golf,” Nolan said.
“I know it’s not the same, but you get a crop of five guys leaving an Irish team, turning pro, and then the next thing you have to rebuild, and then three years later, you’ll have a great team, and then you’ll turn pro.
“Look at Mark and Max in particular, who I’d be both very good friends with. Max has had a great year, Mark is having a great finish to the year, so it’s all just learning.
“It’s only a matter of time, because I play a lot of golf with these guys, and we all have that hunger and desire to be the next guys coming through, while at the same time trying not to listen to these people saying, ‘Oh, where are the Irish guys?’
“We’re working hard and trying our best, and we will get there, for sure. I know we’re not going to stop until we do.”
Irish golf’s five Q-School hopefuls
Conor Purcell (28)
The Portmarnock man claimed his card via the HotelPlanner Tour last season when he won twice and claimed the sixth of 20 promotions to the DP World Tour.
His rookie season did not go as planned, as his iron play and putting were simply not good enough, and he made just 11 of 25 cuts.
But having now played most of the DP World Tour venues this year, he’ll have the experience and time in the off-season to address his weaknesses and come back stronger should he make the top 20 and ties after six rounds.
Max Kennedy (24)
The Royal Dublin man intended to remain amateur for another year until he missed out on his card by just one shot at the Final Stage of Q-School last year and earned a HotelPlanner Tour card.
He came close to winning the Blot Play9 in France in June but double-bogeyed the 72nd hole and lost to the hugely experienced James Morrison, the eventual Grand. Final winner, in a playoff.
He ended up 47th in the HotelPlanner Tour rankings and arrived in Tarragona with confidence after finishing third on 18 under in his Second Stage qualifier.
“I shot 13 under at that course last year, and I shot 18 under this year, and they switched a par five to a par four,” Kennedy argued. “So, I basically shot 22 under, which is a nine-shot difference. So I think my game’s improving all the time.
“I just want to get better and better every single year and make sure I’m going in the right direction in the rankings. I think if you do that, it’ll take care of itself.”
Mark Power (25)
The two-time Walker Cup player from Kilkenny arrives in Tarragona with confidence after claiming his first professional title by winning the Clutch Tour Grand Final and finishing third and eighth respectively at the First and Second Stages of Q-School.
He hasn’t yet managed to get strong status on the HotelPlanner Tour, but believes he’s finally on the right path.
Mark Power. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
“I struggled with consistency off the tee and flighting my wedges this year, but in the last month it’s gotten a lot better,” said Power, who hasn’t been able to secure enough HotelPlanner Tour starts to get into a groove.
“Having somewhere to play is a massive advantage,” said the Kilkenny man. “That’s going to be the main goal this week, trying to get some kind of card in the pocket for next year so I can properly plan the season.”
John-Ross Galbraith (31)
The 2014 Irish Close champion (and 2016 runner-up) from Whitehead in Co Antrim has plied his trade on the Clutch Tour this year, finishing 26th in the Order of Merit with three top 10 finishes.
He had to come through a playoff to get the final qualifying spot at the Second Stage last year, but clearly has the quality to secure a stronger playing status in 2026.
Cormac Sharvin (33)
One of five Irishmen to play in the winning 2015 Walker Cup team alongside Paul Dunne, Gary Hurley, Gavin Moynihan and Jack Hume, Sharvin earned his card when he finished 11th in the Challenge Tour rankings in 2019.
He played 69 DP World Tour events over the next three seasons but made only 22 cuts and opted to do his PGA qualification under Peter Morgan at Elm Park.
Ardglass golfer Cormac Sharvin
He’s since started working on his game again and arrives in Spain with high hopes.
“I obviously have nothing to lose this week,” he said. “Hopefully, I can play decently and have something to show at the end of the week.
“Anything can happen in this game. I haven’t been playing too much competitive golf, but I feel like my game’s in good shape, and if I can translate that into some good scores, you never know.”
