Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins shot a closing one-under-par round of 69 to punch his ticket to Second Stage of the 2027 DP World Tour Q-School.
After rounds of 68 and 67, the reigning Irish Amateur Close champion and first reserve for the GB&I Walker Cup team held a share of the 36-hole lead, but a third-round 75 saw him drop outside the top 19 and ties position he needed to secure advancement to Second Stage.
It was a mixed performance on the final day at The Players Club in Bristol, as he made the turn at one-under after going bogey-birdie-eagle-bogey on a four-hole stretch starting on the third.
Seven pars followed, before a bogey on 14 took him into the closing stretch in a perilous position, but a birdie at the last was enough to guarantee that he’d finish no worse than 19th and with those behind dropping shots coming in, he’d eventually end the week tied for 10th and with two shots to spare.
Sam Murphy, who started the day level with Higgins having held the first-round lead, shot a two-over 72 and agonisingly missed out by one, while Hugh Foley’s 73 left him tied for 33rd.
Higgins, who intends to turn pro ahead of the Amgen Irish Open where he’s set to make his DP World Tour debut, will now have almost two months to prepare for Second Stage which takes places across four Spanish venues in late October.
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