Niall Kearney and Jonathan Caldwell advance in Euro Tour school

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

Both were among the 25 who qualified from the first stage event at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire yesterday as they bid to make it through all three gruelling stages and earn their Tour cards for 2017.

The pair finished in joint fifth position overall on seven-under par and two strokes back on joint-leaders Philip Eriksson of Sweden and Scotsman Daniel Kay who were tied on nine-under (279).