Dream ticket hands rising star Kearney Texas chance

BALLYLIFFIN’S Thomas Kearney has been handed a dream invitation to tee it up in this week’s Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour.

The 26-year old graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio will make his PGA Tour debut alongside big names Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, John Daly and former Masters champions Zach Johnson, who is bidding to win the title for the third year in a row.

“I’ve been playing Monday qualifiers for Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour this year and trying to get started that way,” said Kearney, who did not have the $5,000 (€3,903) fee to enter last season’s PGA Tour Qualifying School.