Golf

Moynihan and McGee in final-day battle to secure European Tour cards

Dubliner goes into final round tied for 17th while Derry golfer is six shots outside top 25

Gavin Moynihan fell nine spots and is just inside the cut-off, tied for 17th on 11-under par. Photograph: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Gavin Moynihan fell nine spots and is just inside the cut-off, tied for 17th on 11-under par. Photograph: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Brian Keogh in Salou
Wed Nov 15 2017 - 19:04

Gavin Moynihan and Ruaidhri McGee face a final-round battle to secure cards at the gruelling European Tour Qualifying School marathon in Spain.

While both shot one-under-par 70s on a perfect day for scoring at Lumine Golf Club’s Lakes Course, they holed little on the greens and lost ground in their bids to finish in the top 25 and ties who will be awarded cards after today’s sixth and final round.

Moynihan is the best placed of the two but while he remains inside the top 25, he fell nine spots and is just inside the cut-off, tied for 17th on 11-under par.

Tied with eight others, the Dubliner has little room for manoeuvre with another 23 players within three shots of the top 25.

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But it’s even tougher now for Derry’s McGee, who is six shots outside the top 25 on five-under after failing to repeat the fireworks that saw him birdie seven of his last eight holes on Monday to make the cut.

Moynihan is now two strokes outside the top 10 who will win far stronger cards than the players finishing between 11th and 25th but he was still upbeat.

Struggled

“I probably hit the ball the best I have all week, but it was just one of those days on the greens,” said the 23-year-old, who struggled to read the greens and missed birdie chances inside 10 feet on the last two holes.

He’s still in position to win his full European Tour card having begun what has turned out to be a tremendous season with no status on any tour.

“It’s all a bonus for me this week anyway,” he added. “All I wanted to do was get into position, and I’ve done that now and I can go for it tomorrow.”

McGee lamented his lack of luck with the putter but he showed with a homeward 29 on Monday that he’s not afraid to go low.

“It was a shame because it was such a calm day that you really needed to shoot four or five under to make a bit of a move,” McGee said. “But look, I will go for everything tomorrow and give it a lash.”

England's Sam Horsfield broke 70 for the fifth day running, carding a four-under 67 to lead by three on 19-under par from Denmark's Jeff Winther, who shot a seven-under 64.