Upward trajectory continues for Kennedy on day three at DPWT Q-School Final Stage

Mark McGowan
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Max Kennedy (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Mark McGowan

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Max Kennedy continues to improve at DP World Tour Q-School Final Stage at Infinitum and finds himself three shots off the qualification mark at the halfway stage.

After shooting a one-under 70 on the Lakes Course on day one and a two-under 70 on the Hills on day two, the Royal Dublin amateur carded his best round of the week so far on Saturday and his three-under 68 on his second venture round the Lakes Course leaves him tied for 44th and primed for a push towards the all-important top-20 over the final three rounds.

Top priority, however, must go to ensuring he’s within the top-65 and ties after round four, at which point the survivors will battle it out over the final two rounds for their playing rights for 2025.

Starting on the 10th hole, Kennedy kept it tight over the closing stretch and carded six pars before sandwiching a bogey between two birdies for a one-under opening half. Further birdies on one and eight saw him move inside the 72-hole cut mark with shots to spare, and he has a further 18 to go before tunnel vision makes forcing his way into the top-20 all that matters.

Gary Hurley has not found the Hills Course to his liking this week, and his round of 73 – one-over-par – drops him back into a tie for 94th and two shots outside the 72-hole cutline.

Back-to-back bogeys on six and seven after an early birdie and another on eight saw him level-par at the midpoint of his round, but eight pars and a bogey on the back side mean that he’s got an uphill task if he’s to force his way into the final two rounds and replicate his success of 2022 where he earned his card for the first time.

Dermot McElroy, who was best of the Irish trio after day one, quite simply has to go low in round four to maintain any hopes of graduating to the big leagues next season. Thanks to his late season revival, the Ballymena man is secure of his Challenge Tour status for next year so is effectively playing with house money, and he’ll take a ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ mentality into the fourth round knowing that anything less than a round in the low 60s will likely spell the end to his adventures in 2024.

At the sharp end of the leaderbaord, Edoardo Molinari continues to lead the way despite a nine-stroke increase from day two to day three.

The Italian, who started the day five strokes clear, signed for a level par round of 72 on the Hills Course to stay at 17-under-par, and reach the halfway stage of the six-round marathon four shots ahead of Frenchman Clément Sordet, who occupies solo second on 13-under.

Molinari, following rounds of 65-61-72, is well-placed to regain his DP World Tour playing privileges at the first opportunity, and was pleased with how he handled testing conditions on day three in Tarragona.

“I didn’t get off to a great start, but it was difficult with the wind in the trees,” he said. “I felt it was much trickier today. It was swirling a lot.

“I certainly didn’t play as well as the last two days but after a ten under par yesterday, it’s always difficult to follow it with another, so I’m pleased with what I did.

“It was good to finish with a birdie on my last hole, which was a tricky hole today. To finish the round level par, all-in-all it’s a good day.”

The three-time DP World Tour winner and Ryder Cup Vice Captain successfully came through Q-School in 2015 and then again in 2016, and admits that experience, coupled with patience, was the key to staying out in front.

“Patience was very important,” he added. “I had quite a big lead and sometimes it’s a bit tricky to play with such a big lead, but I just tried to play my own game, make the right decisions and I felt like for the most part, I did that.

“My putting wasn’t great, and definitely not as good as it has been for the last two days, but level par in these conditions, on this course, is not too bad.

“I haven’t really hit a bad putt in two days so it’s going to happen eventually, but I kept it together well.”

Englishman Matthew Southgate is five shots off the lead in third place on 12 under par, with four players one shot further back in fourth, including Australian Danny List, Dane Alexander George Frances, Englishman Callan Barrow and Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist.

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