Portumna’s Sam Murphy shot a five-under 65 to storm to the top of the leaderboard on day one of the DP World Tour’s First Stage Q-School event at The Players Club in Bristol.
Murphy, who made a splash by winning on his professional debut on the Alps Tour earlier this year, had just one blemish on his card on a day where only 17 of the 80 players finished the round in red figures. That was a double bogey that came on the par-3 13th and dropped him back to -2 having birdied the first, sixth, ninth and 11th holes.
His response to the error was ideal, following up with further birdies on 14, 16 and 18 to take the clubhouse lead and he held onto that throughout the day with the United States’ Parker Bell finishing closest at -4 and a further two Americans posting three-under.
Thomas Higgins has yet to officially turn pro, but the reigning Irish Close champion and hero of Ireland’s European Amateur Team Championship-winning side proved that he’s very comfortable in professional company.
The Roscommon man made five birdies and an eagle on his way to a two-under 68 that leaves him tied for fifth.
Hugh Foley at +2 is next best of the Irish and at 35th he’ll need to climb roughly 20 places over the next three rounds if he’s to advance, while Tyler Hogarty’s race appears to be over after an 11-over 81 left him at the foot of the leaderboard.
Including this qualifier and the one running concurrently at Golf PGA France Le Vaudreuil in Normandy, there are a total of 10 First Stage Qualifiers scheduled with Second Stage taking place across four Spanish venues in late October before Final Qualifying at INFINITUM in November.
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