Stunning 62 puts next qualifying stage in reach for Donnelly

A SCINTILLATING 10-under par 62 from Kilkenny’s Luke Donnelly stole the show at The Players Club in Bristol yesterday – with the Mount Juliet-attached star set to secure his qualification from the first stage of European Tour qualifying school. An eagle two on the par-four fourth hole was the highlight of a faultless round from the PGA EuroPro Tour player, which also included eight birdies. Having shot 77 and then 71 for his first two rounds, it puts Donnelly right in the mix on a 54-hole aggregate of 210 – six-under par. He heads into this morning’s final round four strokes back on Englishman Haydn McCullen – who was 10-under after three rounds. The top 19 and ties this evening will secure their passage into the second stage. Neil O’Briain also looks set to bag one of those spots as he heads into round four in fifth place on four-under par. It was a mixed round yesterday for O’Briain, who had five birdies but also five bogeys as he signed for a level-par 72 to back up his earlier rounds of 72 and 68. The magic mark for qualification is currently four-over par. Brian McElhinney, who signed for a 70 yesterday, is in contention on seven-over, with Joe Dillion eight-over. Brendan McCarroll missed the cut. At the corresponding event at Fleesensee in Germany, Michael McGeady and Colm Moriarty both have work to do today if they are to secure their qualification. The top 15 and ties at the end of round four this evening will make it through to stage two with the current mark of six-under par. Both were two-under par (214) after three rounds; McGeady signed for a 72 yesterday while Moriarty shot a two-under 70. Denmark’s Frederik Dreier and Per Langfors of Sweden lead heading into round four on nine-under (207). Meanwhile, champions Ireland go head-to-head with England at Conwy this morning in a final-day showdown as they look to lift the Raymond Trophy for a fifth year in a row. Having opened with a crushing 11.53.5 victory over Scotland on Wednesday, John Carroll’s side defeated hosts Wales 9.5-5.5 yesterday to make it two from two. In the Irish Senior Women’s Open Strokeplay, 70-year-old Beatriz Arenas from Guatemala shot a second successive, eight-over 82 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round at Grange. She leads on 16-over par from Grange’s Sheena McElroy and Gigi Higgins from the USA, who carded rounds of 83 and 85 respectively on a day of high scoring.