Golf

Kevin Phelan within touching distance of Tour card

Waterford golfer just outside top 25 needed to win card with one round remaining

Simon Wakefield of England plays a tee shot during the fifth round of European Tour qualifying school final stage at PGA Catalunya . Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Simon Wakefield of England plays a tee shot during the fifth round of European Tour qualifying school final stage at PGA Catalunya . Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Thu Nov 14 2013 - 21:10

Kevin Phelan’s chances of securing a European Tour card for next season are still alive after another impressive round in the final stage qualifying event at the PGA Catalunya Resort.

Phelan shot a two-under par 70 around the Stadium Course to leave him on seven-under par for the tournament and with an aggregate score of 349 at the end of the penultimate day’s play.

The Waterford star began on the 10th and started well birdying two of his opening seven holes at the 13th and 16th. But despite another birdie, Phelan hit three bogeys and as he approached the final three holes his hopes of finishing in the top 25 and ties appeared slim.

But birdies at the 7th and 8th kept the 23-year old within touching distance as he finished the fifth round in a tie for 33rd spot, on shot outside a share of 25th.

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David Higgins and Ruaidhri McGee endured difficult days to leave their hopes of obtaining a Tour Card for 2014 all but over. Kerryman Higgins could only manage a two-over par 74 to leave him on level par for the tournament with an aggregate score of 356.

The 40-year old bogeyed the 8th, 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th and suffered a frustrating day in a share of 67th place alongside Italy's Lorenzo Gagli and New Zealand's Kieran Pratt.

McGee suffered an even more torrid time around the Stadium Course as he suffered with three-over par 75 for the day. The Derry native is now one-over par with an aggregate score of 357 and shares 70th position with English amateur Callum Shinkwin.

Spain's Carlos Del Moral remains four shots clear at the top of the leaderboard after another outstanding round carding a seven-under 65 to leave him on 21-under par for the tournament heading into the final day.