Tim Rice shot a one-under-par 71 in the opening round of the DP World Tour Stage One Q-School Qualifier at Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil, ending the day in a share of 33rd.
The 47-year-old Limerick PGA Professional found himself in the winners’ circle four times on the PGA in Ireland region in 2025 after winning the Elavon Order of Merit in 2024, and is the sole Irish representative in what is the final Stage One Qualifier where the top 17 and ties will advance to Stage Two.
Rice started slowly, bogeying the third and adding another on the ninth to make the turn at +2 and in the bottom half of the 81-player field. But a birdie on the par-5 12th sparked a revival and he reeled off two more on 13 and 14 to complete a hat-trick and get into red figures.
He’ll be a little disappointed not to have picked up another stroke or two with two par-5s coming in the final four holes, but he’s just two shots off being part of the early provisional qualification mark where 14 players share ninth at -3.
Norwegian Mats Ege reeled off six birdies in a row to close out his opening round at -10, opening up a three-stroke lead over England’s Jake Ayres with another Englishman in George Mason and Argentinian Andres German Gallegos tied for third a shot further back on -6.
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