Hurley on the cusp of Stage Two Q-School

Gary Hurley continued to swing freely and heads Ireland’s latest wave of hopefuls with a round to go at Stage One Q-School at Frilford Heath

 Gary Hurley / Image from Getty Images

The West Waterford professional has been pointing the way from an Irish perspective all week and carded three birdies and an eagle two at the par-4 14thto return a four-under-par 68 on moving day. That score finds him just two shots off the lead in a share of third spot on six-under-par as he looks to put an otherwise poor year behind him with a late flourish at Q-School.

Fellow Deise man, Kevin Phelan continues to hang tough just two shots further adrift on four-under-par. After bursting out of the blocks with four birdies on his front nine, Phelan dropped two on the way in but remains in control of his own destiny as he hopes to put an otherwise disappointing year behind him.

Where Hurley and Phelan excelled at Frilford, the rest struggled with Whitehead’s John Ross Galbraith and Team Ireland’s Brian Casey the only other Irish players to make the 54-hole cut.

Galbraith returned an even par 72 to hold a share of 50th spot on plus two while Casey is one shot further back after battling to a two-under-par 70.

The cut fell at plus-five and that proved a bridge too far for John Hickey (+7), Dubliner Paul McBride (+7) Limerick’s Tim Rice (+7), Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney (+8), Tullamore’s Stuart Grehan (+15) and Paul O’Neill (+17).

Meanwhile in the blissful scoring conditions of Bogogno, fresh from his top-20 finish on the Europro Tour, Ireland’s sole representative, Cameron Raymond remains in the hunt to secure his path to Stage Two.

The former Newlands man recovered from a double bogey at the par-5 third to fire five birdies on his way to a one-under-par 71, good enough for a share of 15th spot on minus-six with a round to go at the toughest examination in all of golf.