Irish golfers got off to a less than impressive start in the first round of Stage Two of the PGA European Tour Qualifying School at courses in the north of Spain yesterday. With the top 29 players from each of the three courses progressing to the final Qualifying School at San Roque in three weeks' time, the opening day's play saw only two of the six Irishmen in action attain that mark.
They both came at Peralada on the Costa Brava where Peter Lawrie proved the pick of the pair with an opening two-under-par 70. It left him in a tie for 16th place, only five shots adrift of the joint leaders, Welshman Matthew Ellis and England's David Lynn.
Also under par was Gary Murphy on 71 which gave him a share of 27th place going into today's second of four rounds.
Not too far off the pace at Peralada was James Loughnane after his opening 72 but club professional John Dwyer from Ashbourne will have a bit more to do after his 73 left him in a tie for 53rd.
At Emporda, former Walker Cup player Richard Coughlan and Newry's Jim Carvill failed to ignite their challenge and both ended with uninspiring level-par 71s to finish tied for 45th, eight shots adrift of leader 25-year-old Parisien Sebastien Delagrange who shot an opening eight under par 63. England's Justin Rose, who has had an indifferent year, is also on level par 71.
