Irish off to a flyer at Euro Q-School

Ireland took a remarkable 1-2 in the European Tour School’s qualifying phase stage one at Roxburgh Hotel in Scotland yesterday, with Mark Staunton and Peter O’Keeffe occupying the top two spots.

Staunton, the 30-year-old from Ballinsloe, led from the start of the event on Tuesday and finished with a solid one under par 71 yesterday for a 72-hole aggregate of 276 and a yawning eight-stroke cushion over Muskerry-based O’Keeffe.

The Ballinasloe man could afford the luxury of two bogeys in the last three holes and still demolish his rivals.