Dermot McElroy made a superb start to the second stage of European Tour Qualifying School with a two-under 70 at El Saler, Spain.

Three Irish stars made it through to the second stage of the European Tour qualifying school after top-20 finishes at Frilford Heath, Oxfordshire.

Niall Kearney and Jonathan Caldwell are safely through to next month’s second stage of the European Tour qualifying school.

Headfort’s Brian Casey is the only Irishman inside the qualifying places after a disastrous third day for the green army at the Second Stage of the Qualifying School in Spain.

West Waterford’s Gary Hurley fired five birdies in an opening 68 to get his qualifying bid off to a positive start in the 72-hole European Tour Qualifying School Second Stage in Spain.

Shane Lowry brushed off an elbow to the face to maintain his lofty position near the top of the British Masters leader board at Woburn.

Defending champion Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin) and Eamonn Brady (Clontarf GC) are locked together at the top of leaderboard after the opening day of the LowFuelCard.ie Irish PGA Championship at Dundalk GC.

After a disappointing first round on Thursday, Shane Lowry bounced back into BMW PGA Championship contention yesterday with a five-under-par 67 at Wentworth that leaves him the best of the Irish heading into the weekend.

Peter Lawrie did not know he would be playing at Wentworth until Monday afternoon but he had plenty of reasons to thank European Tour chief executive George O’Grady for the tournament invitation that could help him regain his Tour card for next season.

Michael McGeady maintained his run of consistency yesterday to sweep into the final qualifying school of the European Tour and to move closer to a full Tour card.

Royal Dublin star Niall Kearney is in pole position today to move to the brink of a full European Tour card.

Eight Irish hopefuls will be looking to make their mark as the European Tour qualifying school second stage gets underway across four venues in Spain today.

From the Senior Cup to a World Celebrity Pro-Am, it has been quite the journey for Irish PGA professional Brian O’Donovan.

Niall Kearney, the 26-year-old European Challenge Tour player from Royal Dublin, achieved an ambition he has chased since turning professional in 2009 when he birdied the 18th hole at Adare Manor yesterday to capture the 104th Irish Professional Championship.

Irish golfers have captured four major championships since 2011 but in that same timeframe, eight of our best and brightest have taken the plunge into the professional ranks.

It’s been a very busy week on the PGA Irish Region circuit with five events staged across seven days in four counties.

Conall Ó Fátharta finds publicans in Cork are very upbeat about the trade’s future.

Ruaidhrí McGee and Kevin Phelan are one step away from securing a European Tour card after both qualified from second stage events in Spain.

Donegal’s Ruaidhri McGee is on the verge of progressing through to the final European Tour Qualifying School event next weekend after another superb round at Las Colinas in Spain.

John Daniel Guiney is a name familiar to golf fans in his native Kerry.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Niall Kearney has slipped snugly into the favourites’ seat for the Cassidy Golf PGA Irish Region Championship title this week, at Roganstown.

Paul McGinley declared he would be taking a backseat role but there was no hiding the enthusiasm of the European Ryder Cup captain on the opening day of the Seve Trophy near Versailles.

One of the richest tournaments on the European Tour schedule, the $5m (€3.7m) Dunhill Links, is on this week over three outstanding links courses on the east coast of Scotland — but just three members of the 2012 European Ryder Cup team are competing.

Belfast’s Ruaidhri McGee returned to the top of the leaderboard on the European Tour qualifying school in Cheshire yesterday — and looks certain to move into the second stage.

Paul McGinley continues to make it clear that he will be his own man when attempting to mastermind Europe’s Ryder Cup defence at Gleneagles next year.

A six-month suspended jail sentence was imposed on a former solicitor and politician for carrying a penknife which was found in his possession after a row in a nightclub.

A psychiatric report is to be prepared on a former Fianna Fáil councillor before he is sentenced for being drunk and a danger; being threatening abusive or insulting; and carrying a knife.

A former Fianna Fáil councillor — described by a retired garda as “the most arrogant man I ever encountered” — was convicted of being drunk and a danger; being threatening, abusive or insulting; and carrying a knife.

A former Fianna Fáil councillor — described by a retired garda as “the most arrogant man I ever encountered” — was yesterday convicted of being drunk and a danger, being threatening, abusive, or insulting, and carrying a knife.

The list of illustrious casualties was of no comfort to Ballymena’s Chris Devlin as he limped away from the European Tour Qualifying School facing an uncertain future after a devastating quadruple bogey eight wrecked his tour dream.

Simon Thornton loves the challenge, but David Higgins believes you’d have to be mad to say you enjoy the experience of battling for your livelihood in the marathon European Tour Qualifying School.

David Higgins found his putting touch to fire a sensational six under 64 on the Tour Course and get within two shots of the lead after the second round of the marathon European Tour Qualifying School final stage at the PGA Catalunya Resort.

Waterville golfer David Higgins landed in Spain on Wednesday ahead of his bid to bring the curtain down on a memorable season by emerging from the infamously torturous Q-School with a prized European Tour card.

Five Irish golfers, Waterville’s David Higgins, Ulstermen Chris Devlin and Gareth Shaw, Dubliner Niall Kearney and Yorkshire-born Simon Thornton, will be among a group of 150 hopefuls seeking 25 places on the 2013 European Tour when the final Tour School takes place over six days at the Catalunya complex near Barcelona beginning next Saturday.

An ailing Rory McIlroy will be looking to the horizon and hoping continuing Singapore storms abate just long enough to leave the way clear for him to secure the Race to Dubai title.

Mark Murphy’s Q School dreams were shattered yesterday after he sustained a nasty injury competing at the Las Colinas course.

Irish amateur star Alan Dunbar finished just one shot off the bottom of the leaderboard after yesterday’s first round of European Tour second stage qualifying at Lumine Golf & Beach Club in north-east Spain.

Fourteen Irish golfers begin the second stage of the European Tour qualifying school at four venues throughout Spain today.

Irish amateur star Alan Dunbar survived a collapse over the closing seven holes at Wychwood Park before managing to squeeze through to the second stage of European Tour qualifying.

Paul Cutler’s European Tour career remains on hold after the former Walker Cup star missed the 54-hole cut at the first stage of the Qualifying School for the second year in a row.

It was agony and ecstasy for two of England’s stars at golf’s richest event today.

BELGIUM’S Nicolas Colsaerts leads the Volvo Golf Champions by four strokes after surging clear of the field with a course-record 64 at Fancourt in South Africa today.