Four Irish qualify as it rains in Spain

Richard Coughlan, David Higgins, Francis Howley and Cameron Clark were yesterday handed their European Tour cards, but Sean Quinlivan must play the last nine holes of his fourth round this morning in five under par or better to win his passport to the 1998 circuit. Torrential rain on the Costa del Sol permitted less than three hours play at Guadalmina, where 37 golfers still had to reach the 72hole stage when play was abandoned on the sixth day of the European Tour School.

After an inspection of both courses yesterday afternoon by School director Andy McFee and David Garland, Head of Tour Operations - coupled with a forecast of further heavy rain - the decision was made to abandon the fifth round.

The result will now be declared over 72 holes, provided play at Guadalmina can be completed either today or tomorrow. Level par will be needed to qualify and 40 players are already on that score or better.

Among them are rookie professional Coughlan who had rounds of 71, 73, 71, 72 for 287 sharing 27th place; Higgins who shot 71, 72, 70, 73 for 286 and a share of 20th position; and Howley who scored 71, 72, 71, 71 for a three under par 285 to be joint 13th. Ballymena-born Clark from Worcester shot a fourth round 70 for 287.

There are four joint winners, Dutchmen Robert Jan Derksen and Chris Van der Velde, England's Philip Golding and Swede Fredrik Henge, who all returned an eight under total of 280, two better than New Zealander Michael Campbell.

Quinlivan, who had spent a frustrating eight hours waiting to embark on his fourth round at Guadalmina on Monday, finally started yesterday morning after a 30-minute delay but by the time he reached the halfway mark the course was unplayable. The Ballybunion golfer's third round 68 at San Roque left him on one over par and he felt confident of forcing his way into the top 40, prior to the fifth round. However, it was raining heavily when he teed off and the strokes soon began to slip away in the dreadful conditions.

He took three putts on a saturated second green, duffed a chip when he missed the target at the fourth then, with his feet sliding on the sixth tee, hooked his drive deep into the trees for a third bogey.

By the time the 22-year-old got to the short ninth the tee box was submerged. He and his partners protested that the course was unplayable and that there was nowhere for them to tee their balls.

They were ordered to continue as best they could and it proved disastrous for Quinlivan. With water lapping over his shoes he squirted his tee shot 25 yards wide of the green, could only knock his ball into the greenside bunker and took three more to get down. The double bogey put him out in 40.

Shortly after he struck his tee shot at the 10th play was abandoned for the day. Quinlivan was five over par after 63 holes and among a group of 15 players with a chance, albeit a slender one, of improving to the card-winning mark of level par. But last night he was a frustrated and dispirited young man.

"The course was not playable and they should not have let us start," he said. "The first green was under water and the rest of the course was a disgrace. There was just nowhere for me to stand at the ninth."

Kent club professional John Murray decided to cut his losses after collapsing to 17 over par after 66 holes and withdrew on Monday evening. Ulsterman Jim Carvill, who went out in 38 yesterday to be 11 over par after 63 holes, may well decide to follow suit, rather than prolong the agony.