GOLF/EUROPEAN TOUR FINAL QUALIFYING SCHOOL:THE EUROPEAN Tour School tests patience like no other event bar a major but a phlegmatic Gary Murphy could have been mistaken for St Thomas Aquinas as he battled the snail's pace antics of his playing partners to keep his hopes of a tour return alive.
While Co Down-based Simon Thornton, the Huddersfield native with the Irish passport, is tied 25th on nine under after a brilliant 67 at a sun-kissed PGA Golf de Catalunya, Murphy and rookie professional Niall Kearney can still finish inside the top 30 and ties who will earn European Tour cards following today’s sixth round.
In Murphy’s case it will be a triumph of will over adversity after a three under par 69 alongside the explosive Adam Blyth (79) and deliberate Dane Mads Vibe-Hastrup (72) left him just two strokes outside the top 30 on seven-under par.
The 37-year-old Kilkenny man began with a double bogey at the 10th when a spectator shouted on his backswing and then bogeyed the next when he was plugged in a bunker. But he kept his cool to card six birdies in a five-hour round that gives him a fighting chance of winning back his card.
“The pace of play was a disgrace,” said Murphy, who is tied for 34th. “Most of the guys here haven’t a clue and it was the same yesterday. At least I’m closer to getting my card than I was after two holes today.”
England’s Simon Khan (70) leads by six shots from 21-year-old Walker Cup star Sam Hutsby (66) on 22 under par. Kearney was on the same losing side at Merion and he has work to do to make the top 30 after carding two bogeys and 16 pars in a 74 to slip four shots outside the top 30 on five under.
“It was a pretty bog standard round to be honest but I will be giving it a bash tomorrow,” Kearney said. “I certainly have nothing to lose now. Knowing I had a Challenge Tour card for making the cut here took a little bit of the pressure off today but I still went out with the intention of winning my card and I will be doing the same tomorrow.”
Thornton has been living in Co Down for 13 years and the 32-year-old is determined to join the big boys on tour next year after a brilliant round that almost got away from him.
Starting on the back nine, he raced to the turn in five under 31 and was six under through 11 holes when he hit a speed bump.
Bunkered at the 200-yard fifth, he flashed his recovery across the green into a lake and did well to make a double bogey. A bogey at the sixth left him feeling sorry for himself but he recovered with a chip and putt birdie at the long seventh and birdied the last.
EUROPEAN TOUR SCHOOL: 334 S Khan (Eng) 68 63 67 66 70. 340 S Hutsby (Eng) 69 72 65 68 66. 341 C Carranza (Arg) 65 73 68 68 67, S Gallacher (Sco) 68 72 68 66 67. 342 A Canizares (Spa) 74 67 61 65 75. 343 S O’hara (Sco) 68 70 68 69 68, J Elson (Eng) 68 65 66 73 71, M F Haastrup (Den) 69 71 68 67 68. 344 S Gross Jr (Ger) 69 72 66 66 71, A Tadini (Ita) 68 69 69 71 67, J Sandelin (Swe) 66 69 67 70 72. 345 J Ruth (Eng) 64 75 66 68 72, P Sjoland (Swe) 72 65 67 69 72, G Rosier (Fra) 71 73 67 64 70. 346 F Ohlsson (Swe) 68 70 68 69 71, M Ruiz (Par) 71 68 63 69 75, S Walker (Eng) 70 64 69 69 74, C Suneson (Spa) 72 67 65 71 71, G Coetzee (Rsa) 68 70 67 71 70, P Archer (Eng) 68 70 67 72 69, A Haig (Rsa) 76 73 66 62 69, L Gagli (Ita) 70 71 67 70 68, F Andersson Hed (Swe) 66 75 66 70 69, E Tage Johansen (Nor) 75 65 66 71 69. Irish Scores: 347 S Thornton 67 75 69 69 67, 349 - G Murphy 69 67 70 74 69. 351 - N Kearney 72 68 68 69 74.
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