Irish trio in hunt for tour school places

FORMER Walker Cup player Noel Fox, fellow Dubliner Eamonn Brady and David Mortimer, the Galway-born Newlands club professional, battled back into contention for places in the European Tour School at San Roque next week with excellent rounds in yesterday’s second day of pre-qualifying at the Costa Ballena course near Cadiz in the south of Spain.

Spain's Carlos De Corral leads at Costa Ballena after splendid rounds of 65 and 67 to stand ten under par. Twenty-one places are available at three courses and Fox, Brady and Mortimer recovered yesterday from a slightly shaky start to move up to a share of 19th place on six under par.

Mortimer shot 67, Fox was round in 68 and Brady, 69, while Jimmy Bolger, the pro at Kilkenny, also gave himself a decent chance of progressing thanks to yesterday's 68 for five under.

However, John Kelly, who was recently appointed club pro at St Margaret's, slipped to a 74 having opened brightly with a 67.

He is now back on three under par, two better than Ulsterman Chris Moriarty, while there was better news of amateurs Michael McGeady from North-West, Donegal, and Darren Crowe of Dunmurry, who brought in 69 and 71 respectively for even par.

Although back in a tie for 60th, both of these talented young men are not without hope of surviving although they clearly need to shoot well below par today and again tomorrow to get into the top 21.

It's an even more daunting task for Killarney's Daniel Sugrue and Dubliner Alan Murray, both one over, while it was a day of great disappointment for Greg Bowden of Hermitage who opened brightly on Wednesday with a 70 at Golf de Catalunya but yesterday crashed to 77 for three over.

At Costa Ballena: 132 Carlos De Corral (Sp)65, 67.

Irish scores: 138 N. Fox (Portmarnock) 70, 68; E. Brady (Royal Dublin) 69, 69; D. Mortimer (Newlands) 71, 68, tied 19th.

139 J. Bolger (Kilkenny) 71, 68 (tied 29th). 141 J. Kelly (St Margarets) 67, 74 (tied 43rd) 143 Chris Moriarty 73, 70 (tied 55th); 144 M. McGeady (North-West) 75, 65; D. Crowe (Dunmurry) 73, 71 (tied 60th). 145 A. Murray 76, 69; D. Sugrue (Killarney) 71, 74 (tied 67th).

At Catalunya: 133 Jean Hugo (South Africa) 69, 64.

Irish: 147 G. Bowden (Hermitage) 70, 77 (tied 60th).