Ireland will have 25 competitors attempting to get through the second pre-qualifying stage of the European Tour School over the next three days. It is their last opportunity of joining the hopefuls at San Roque and Guadalmina in Southern Spain, where the shape of next season's exempt list will be determined at the end of November.

A total of five courses are in use this week - Pals, Emporda, Perelada and Panoramica in Spain and St Cyprien in France. As it happens, St Cyprien will have the greatest concentration of Irish challengers with David Higgins, Francis Howley, Peter Lawrie, John McHenry, Gary Murphy (Kilkenny), Gary Murphy (Monkstown), Graham Spring and Cork's Gary O'Flaherty, all in action.

Incidentally, a particularly interesting candidate at this venue is the 46-year-old former US Tour player, Mac O'Grady who won the Greater Hartford Open in 1986 and the Tournament of Champions the following year. A one-time coach to Seve Ballesteros, he last played his home tour in 1995.

The Perelada line-up includes Ireland's Niall Handley (Forrest Little), John Kelly (City Air Express), Hugh O'Neill (Galway), Paul Russell (Royal Belfast) and former British Boys' champion, Leslie Walker (Foxrock).

There are also five Irish players competing at Emporda, including Walker Cup representative Richard Coughlan, who will also be attempting to play professionally in the US. He is joined by David Barton (Stonebridge GC), Damian Mooney (Laganview), Peter O'Brien (Killiney) and Ulsterman Cameron Clark from the Hagley G and CC.

The Irish challengers at Pals are former Tour player Eoghan O'Connell, Ulster's Steven Moodie, Chris Moriarty and Patrick Geraghty. Meanwhile, James Bourke (Thurles), Sean McDonagh (Rushmore Park) and Wayne O'Callaghan are competing at Panoramica.