Tour School: Jonathan Caldwell's bid to earn full playing rights on the European Tour next season got off to an highly impressive start at the final stage of the dreaded Qualifying School today. The Clandeboye man carded a four-under-par opening round of 67 to lie just two shots off the lead.
Caldwell, who secured his place in the gruelling six round marathon last weekend, provided the highlight on a day when all four Irish players shone. Former British amateur champion Michael Hoey and Simon Thornton both share 19th place on three-under while Micheal McGeady is just a shot further back.
Caldwell, a close friend Rory McIlroy, joined the professional ranks last week and reeled off four birdies on a fine inward half over the Red course.
Rising star McIlroy has established himself on the main circuit having earned his tour card by finishing third in last year's Dunhill Links championship but his former Walker Cup team-mate is having to earn his playing rights the hard way.
"Rory and myself are good pals and we still sometimes practise together back home when we get a chance," said Caldwell.
"He called me on Saturday after I'd qualified for the final and wished me luck. He didn't have to go through this but I know what I have to do and it would be nice to join him on the tour. I'm certainly going to give it my best shot."
A total of 156 players are at the PGA Golf de Catalunya in Girona for the nerve jangling event. With just the top 30 (plus ties) winning lucrative European Tour cards for next season the next week will bring elation for the chosen few but bitter disappointment for the vast majority of hopefuls.
Sweden's Oskar Henningsson made the running on day one, three birdies and an eagle on the back nine helping him to six-under and the outright lead. Henningsson is shot clear of South Africa's Branden Grace, Paraguay's Marco Ruiz, Australia's Wade Ormsby and Inder van Weerelt of Holland with Caldwell among a group of 13 players on four-under.
The field will be whittled down to approximately 70 after the fourth round cut with the real drama being played out over the final two rounds.
Collated final stage scores
At Green Course(Par 72)
66Oskar Henningsson (Swe)
68Federico Colombo (Ita), David Drysdale (Sco), Henrik Nystrom (Swe)
69Dominique Nouailhac (Fra), Simon Thornton(Irl), Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor), Dennis Kupper (Ger), Johan Wahlqvist (Swe)
70Joakim Haeggman (Swe), Iain Pyman (Eng), Jesus Maria Arruti (Spa), Danny Willett (Eng), Jochen Lupprian (Ger), Garry Houston (Wal), Gary Clark (Eng), Julio Zapata (Arg)
71Rory Hie (Ina), Richard Mcevoy (Eng), Andrew Coltart (Sco), Nathan Smith (USA), John Parry (Eng), Callum Macaulay (Sco), Matthew Mills (Eng), Francois Calmels (Fra), James Morrison (Eng), Sam Walker (Eng), Ake Nilsson (Swe), Greig Hutcheon (Sco), Anthony Summers (Aus), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Fabrizio Zanotti (Par)
72Lee S James (Eng), Anders Kristiansen (Nor), Peter Richardson (Eng), Chris Wood (Eng), Julien Guerrier (Fra), Peter Baker (Eng), Gary Boyd (Eng), Adilson Da Silva (Bra)
73Anthony Grenier (Fra), Lorenzo Gagli (Ita), Jan-Are Larsen (Nor), Gary Emerson (Eng), Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Leif Westerberg (Swe), Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe), Benjamin Miarka (Ger)
74Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Cesar Monasterio (Arg), Andreas Hogberg (Swe), Ally Mellor (Eng), Jamie Little (Eng), Matthew Millar (Aus), Florian Fritsch (Ger)
75Matthew Cryer (Eng), Stuart Davis (Eng), Scott Henry (Sco), Tobias Dier (Ger), Mark F Haastrup (Den), Liam Bond (Wal), Jamie Moul (Eng)
76Malcolm Mackenzie (Eng), Thomas Feyrsinger (Aut), Robin Swane (Ned), Andrew Crux (Eng), Craig Lee (Sco)
77Marcel Haremza (Ger), Graham Gordon (Sco), Andrew Oldcorn (Sco), James Ruth (Eng), Guy Woodman (Eng), Sven Struver (Ger), Matthew Morris (Eng)
78Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha), Andrew Tampion (Aus)
79Philip Golding (Eng), Darren Fichardt (Rsa)
At Red Course(Par 71)
66Wade Ormsby (Aus), Inder Van Weerelt (Ned), Branden Grace (Rsa), Marco Ruiz (Par)
67Peter Whiteford (Sco), Julien Quesne (Fra), Simon Griffiths (Eng), Jonathan Caldwell(NIrl), Carlos Aguilar (Spa), Stuart Manley (Wal), James Kamte (Rsa), Clodomiro Carranza (Arg), Tony Carolan (Aus), Michael Curtain (Aus)
68Marc Cayeux (Zim), Roland Steiner (Aut), Jean-Nicolas Billot (Fra), Gerald Gresse (Bel), Michael Hoey(NIrl), Roope Kakko (Fin), Nicola Maestroni (Ita), John Mellor (Eng), Manuel Quiros (Spa)
69Rolf Muntz (Ned), Julien Grillon (Fra), Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spa), Jens Dantorp (Swe), Brett A Taylor (Eng), Alex Haindl (Rsa), Chris Gane (Eng), Adrien Bernadet (Fra), Juan Abbate (Arg), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por), Michael McGeady(Irl), Robert Coles (Eng), Michele Reale (Ita), Antti Ahokas (Fin), Lloyd Saltman (Sco), Nicolas Meitinger (Ger), Joakim Backstrom (Swe)
70Ben Evans (Eng), Santiago Luna (Spa), Andrew Mcarthur (Sco), Ben Mason (Eng), Sion E Bebb (Wal), Gareth Paddison (Nzl), Mikko Korhonen (Fin), David Carter (Eng), Carl Suneson (Spa)
71Scott Hend (Aus), Ian Garbutt (Eng), Carlos Rodiles (Spa), Dale Whitnell (Eng), Warren Bennett (Eng), Petter Bocian (Swe), Sebastian L Saavedra (Arg), Gary Marks (Eng), Anthony Snobeck (Fra)
72Van Phillips (Eng), Steven Jeffress (Aus), Martin Wiegele (Aut), Gareth Davies (Eng), Emanuele Canonica (Ita), Carlos Del Moral (Spa)
73Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Oscar Floren (Swe), Steven Jeppesen (Swe), Andrew Butterfield (Eng), Benjamin Alvarado Chi
75Pedro Linhart (Spa), Jarrod Moseley (Aus), Javier Colomo (Spa), Christopher Hanell (Swe), Jordi Garcia Pinto (Spa), Chris Doak (Sco)
76Raphael De Sousa (Swi), Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra), Jaakko Makitalo (Fin)
