Higgins learning from Q-School of hard knocks

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.

Higgins, who turns 40 at the end of the month, cemented his third domestic Order of Merit by following in the footsteps of his father, Liam to win the PGA Irish Championship at Mount Juliet in a play-off last October.

He has already come through two four-round qualifying stages to reach the six-round final phase, which begins in Catalonia tomorrow and will be joined by fellow Irishmen Peter O’Keeffe, Simon Thornton, Niall Kearney, Gareth Shaw and Chris Devlin in the field of 73 at the PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona.