Tim Rice and Niall Kearney sit tied for 11th at -5 at the midpoint of the DP World Tour’s Final First Qualifying Stage at France’s Golf de Moliets on the south-western coast.
46-year-old Limerick man Rice, who opened with a level-par 72, carded five birdies in a bogey-free second round to thrust himself firmly into contention to advance to the Second Stage which will be held at four Spanish venues on the first week in November.
Starting round two on the tenth, birdies at 13 and 17 got him moving in the right direction, and another at the first took him to -3 for the day. Two more back-to-back on four and five completed the flurry, and he’d par his way home for an excellent 67 that saw him climb 27 spots and inside the all-important top-20 mark.
He’s joined at five-under by Niall Kearney, who went one better than his Limerick compatriot and shot a bogey-free, six-under 66. The Dubliner began his round with 10 straight pars and stood on the 11th tee at +1 for the tournament and in need of inspiration. He duly found it. A birdie on the par-4 ended his run of 14 consecutive pars (he parred the final four holes in round one), and then reeled off five-on-the-spin from 14 through 18 to bulldoze his way into contention.
At -1, Stuart Grehan and Michael Young are next best of the Irish sextet. The former shot a two-under 70 in round two, while France-based Young, whose parents hail from Kerry and Roscommon, shot a 69 to join the Tullamore man in a tie for 36th, but with work to do if they are to manage to play their way into the Second Stage.
Cormac Sharvin and amateur Stephen Grant sit on level par. Ardglass’ Sharvin put back-to-back 72s on the board, while Birr native Grant, who opened with a 73, rebounded with a 71 to make it safely through the 36-hole cut.
There is a further cut after 54 holes, and while Grehan, Young, Sharvin and Grant will all have an eye on it, going low and giving themselves a real shot at qualification is, of course, the primary target as round three gets underway.
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