All five Irish players competing in the final stage of DP World Tour Q-School are under par after two rounds but none are inside the top-20 and ties which would secure cards next year.
The big move of the day came from Kilkenny’s Mark Power who skipped around the Hills course at Infinitum in 67 strokes to move into a share of 26th place on five-under and two shots outside the top-20 and ties that would gain category 18 status at Europe’s top level.
One shot behind him is Conor Purcell after a round of 69 also at the Hills Course although he will be disappointed to have bogeyed two of his last four holes.
Purcell played a full campaign on the DP World Tour this season but lost his full playing privileges after missing out on the top-115 on the Race to Dubai rankings.
Max Kennedy will once again rue not building on his good start after he was forced to settle for a 72 to lie on one-under and in a share of 79th place and he has plenty of work to do.
After a costly finish on Friday, the Dubliner got back on the horse and birdied three of his first four holes but let things slip again with bogeys on the 6th, 9th and 11th. Alongside him are Cormac Sharvin and JR Galbraith who shot rounds of 69 and 73 respectively.
Oliver Gillberg and Alex Goff share a one stroke lead with four rounds to play.
Sweden’s Gillberg carded a bogey-free five under par 66 on the Lakes Course, with Goff signing for a four under par 67 on the same course as both players reached 11 under par for the week. The duo lead by one from Italian Gregorio de Leo, South African Zander Lombard, Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Follett-Smith and Englishman Matthew Baldwin.
Gillberg, starting on the tenth, made the turn two under par before adding three gains in a four-hole stretch from the third to set the pace on day two.
The 29-year-old won Second Stage last week, and after dreaming of having DP World Tour playing privileges for several years, is hoping to continue his good form for the remainder of the week.
“I just tried to focus on the golf shots and the feelings in the swing like yesterday and last week, so I’m happy that the result followed,” he said.
“I’ve been thinking about a DP World Tour card for 18 years, so it would be weird if I didn’t right now. I just want to do my best to focus on the thing I can do, and try to enjoy it and play good golf.
“Everyone knows the consequences, but I’ll try to put that to one side. It’ll be the same tomorrow. I’ll show up and just play as a good as I can.”
