Slow but steady start for Irish at Qualifying School with John Ross Galbraith best of the bunch

John-Ross Galbraith is best of the Irish at Q-School. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Three of the five may have broken par but it was still a slow start for Ireland’s hopefuls at the Final Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School in Spain.

None of the quintet in action at Infinitum Golf in Tarragona managed to finish the day inside the top 20 and ties who will be awarded DP World Tour cards after six rounds.

Whitehead’s John Ross Galbraith was the best of the bunch but his two-under 70 at the Hills Course left him tied for 42nd, two strokes outside the magic number.

Australia’s Connor McKinney fired a bogey-free, nine-under 62 at the Lakes to lead by two strokes from Switzerland’s Cedric Gugler and South Africa’s Zander Lombard, who also played the Lakes, and American Alex Goff, who played the Hills.

Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy and Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell were 63rd after one-under 70s at the Lakes.

Kennedy made five birdies in a row in the middle of his round to get to four under but triple bogeyed the fifth (his 14th) and bogeyed the seventh before finishing with a birdie.

It might also have been better for Purcell, who was two-under playing the par-five 18th but took six.

Kilkenny’s Mark Power made three birdies and three bogeys in a level par 71 at the Lakes to share 86th place while Cormac Sharvin battled his way to a one-over 73 at the Hills to end the day tied for 108th.

The top 60 and ties after 72 holes will qualify for the last two rounds.