Irish pair fail to make the grade

Colm Moriarty and Stephen Browne have both come up short in their attempts to secure full European Tour cards for the 2008 season.

Five Irishmen started the final stage of gruelling Qualifying School at San Roque in Spain, but only Moriarty and Browne made the final cut to play the last two rounds of the six-round marathon.

The magical number was three-under 429 and the top 30 players can now breath once more as they secured their playing rights to the main tour for the 2008 season. Qualifying School attracted a total of 879 entrants as tears of joy and shattered dreams came in equal measure.

In Moriarty's case he came up three shots short after the Athlone pro carded a closing 71 for a level-par 432 aggregate.

Browne had a disappointing end to his campaign as he carded a final round 75 to be six off the pace on three-over 435.

However, both Irishmen both earn full playing privileges to the lesser European Challenge Tour in the new year.

Martin Wiegele was the overall winner as the Austrian led the 30 qualifiers with a nervous closing 76 for an 11-under 421 aggregate. That left the 29-year-old two ahead of Spain's Pedro Linhart (70) and England's Lee Slattery (72).

Slattery's success will taste sweeter than most after he missed out on retaining his tour card via the 2007 Order of Merit by just €77.

"It is such a relief," said Slattery. "I didn't look at missing the card by €77, it was one place on the Order of Merit, that's all that mattered. I feel I belong on The European Tour and it is good to bounce straight back."

The day belonged to Wiegele, who collected the £15,000 (€21,000) first prize.

"It is a beautiful feeling," said the Austrian. "I won for the first time on the challenge Tour in Norway this year but it feels even better to win the Tour School and regain my card. I played on The European Tour a couple of years ago and lost my card but this feels unbelievable.

"It is a great day for Austrian golf with Florian Praegant finishing in the top five as well. We will have three players on The European Tour next year, which has never happened before."

Meanwhile torrential rain has put a halt to the action on the second day of European Seniors Tour Qualifying School in Portugal.

The Pinta Course at the Pestana Golf Resort became flooded forced the abandonment of the second round. Only 80 minutes of play was possible in the morning before officials were forced to bring players off the course whereupon thunder and lightning, allied to more heavy downpours, made further play for the day impossible.

Of the 78 players who are vying for one of the 14 cards available for next season, only 48 began their second rounds with 30 never leaving the sanctuary of the clubhouse. All will return at 8.00am tomorrow to resume round two.

"Thankfully the forecast for tomorrow is good so we will resume play at 8.00am and try to get the second round finished," said tournament director Michael Petch.

"It is unrealistic to expect us to finish the third round tomorrow night as well but we would hope to get it started and get as much of it played as possible before returning to finish it, and then the fourth round and final round, on Thursday."

Leading the way after the first round is Englishman Bob Larratt, who carded a four under par 67 to be one shot ahead of fellow countryman Jeff Hall and South Africa's John Mashego.
    
Jimmy Heggarty is the best placed Irishman on one-over and in a tie for 12th.