EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL: BITING WINDS gusting over 30 mph didn't stop Gary Murphy soaring into a share of seventh place after the second round of the European Tour Qualifying School finals at PGA Golf de Catalunya.

The 37-year old Kilkenny man had his best finish of a forgettable season in Spain only last month when he shared fourth place in the Madrid Masters. Now he appears to have taken that form 500 miles east with a three-under-par 67 at the Tour Course boosting his chances of regaining his card.

The top 30 and ties after six rounds over the Tour and Stadium courses will earn full playing rights and Murphy goes into today’s third round just four strokes behind English pace-setters Charlie Ford and Simon Khan on six under par.

“I quite like Spain. It must be the paella because I am playing nicely,” Murphy jested after a round that featured seven birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey six.

“Ideally I’d like to have shot six under today – I was five under for my round standing on the fifth tee (my 14th) and took double after a bad second and a fluffed chip – but I played steady.”

Ford shot a 64 and Khan a seven-under-par 63 on the easier Tour Course to lead by a stroke from compatriot Jamie Elson as overnight leader Julien Guerrier followed his Q-School record 60 with a three over 75 on the tougher Stadium Course (there was just one sub-70 score there) to slip back to seven under.

Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney continued his hot streak of form by carding four birdies and two bogeys in a 68 on the Tour Course that leaves him just a stroke outside the cards in joint 35th on two under par.

“I played great in stage two last week and that gave me a lot of confidence coming in here,” said the tall 21-year old Dubliner, who is 13 under par for his last four rounds.

The other four Irish contenders all shot over par at the Stadium Course, where just one player broke 70 before the wind started to howl. Glasson’s Colm Moriarty and Ulster-based Simon Thornton signed for rounds of 77 and 75 respectively and at level par they are just inside the top 70 and ties who will make final two rounds.

Clandeboye’s Jonathan Caldwell is two over after a 77 but it could have been a lot worse. He racked up a quadruple-bogey eight at the fourth after two visits to water and a double at the par-three fifth where his tee shot found water again but played the remaining holes in level par thanks mainly to an eagle three at the 12th.

Dubliner John Kelly confessed that his inexperience at this level cost him dear as he carded a 78 on the Stadium to slip to 149th on eight over.

“It’s Tour School pressure,” said Kelly, who needs two stellar rounds to survive the cut.

“It is a bad week to be standing over the ball second-guessing yourself on clubbing. Pro-Ams don’t prepare you for this. I have missed the experience of playing at this level and I am out there making poor decisions and dropping shots because of that rather than poor swings.”

School Rules

Of the 715 players who played in the first two qualifying stages, 77 made it to this week’s 108-hole finals at PGA Golf de Catalunya, where they were joined by 79 exempt players.

After tomorrow’s fourth round, the 156-strong field will be cut to the top-70 and ties, who will then battle it out on the Stadium Course over another 36 holes.

The top-30 and ties will earn full playing rights on the European Tour for next season.