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Kevin Phelan remains the only Irish player - from the three remaining at PGA Catalunya - with a glimmer of hope ahead of the last day of European Tour Final Qualifying of sneaking one of the final 25 places.
Phelan, who starred in the 2013 Walker Cup as well as the US Open Championship in June, where he briefly flirted with the top of the leaderboard before making the cut. A two under par fourth round proved insufficient to make that one stroke move from seven under and enter the mix.
The Waterford golfer carded five birdies on Thursday but with three bogeys damaging any promise of a low score signing for 70 after his days work on the Stadium Course.
David Higgins finds himself in familiar territory in Girona playing the final round as a formality having finished two strokes over par and a share of 66th. A level par score for the week marks the distance with the pace of the event with sixty three players under par, and the top ten all -11.
Fortunately Higgins faces the loss of automatic playing privileges for a year but still holds access to 17 events in the 2014 season, from which he can no doubt yield some better dividend.
Ruadhri McGee saw his hopes fade in an earlier round and a score of 75 on the fifth day reflected the pressure of surrendering to Tour School at this level. All of which will prove a learning experience with much time on his side to make a comeback.
McGee suffered a final nine holes of the fifty seven variety on three consecutive holes - carding a birdie on the third, a double on the fourth and then a bogey on the fifth – to sign for for a 75 on +1 overall.
In a share of 70th place the Rosapenna attached golfer trails the bottom of the leaderboard having been up in the top then after round three.
Del Moral though increased his commanding four shot lead thanks to a seven under par fifth round of 67 and moved to 21 under par.
Another high powered round which included no less than eight birdies, thereby virtually securing his return to The European Tour and a fourth promotion via the Qualifying School in the last six years.
With the top 25 and ties at the conclusion of the final round earning European Tour status, the dreams of many were still hanging in the balance in Girona, north-east Spain.
The cut-off point for promotion sits at eight under par currently, with six former European Tour winners including James Morrison, Mikael Lundberg and Alastair Forsyth all inside the mark while former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson is just one shot outside the crucial number heading into the final round.
Once more, though, it was Del Moral who stole the show as he followed up a stunning fourth round 63 by again claiming the best round of the day over a Stadium Course which he has played three times this week, gaining 17 shots to par along the way.
The 28 year old has his girlfriend Karin Dedering on the bag this week and he believes that she has played a huge part in his success as he looks forward to a full season on The 2014 Race to Dubai.
“I have struggled a lot this year and so I decided that no one knows me better than my girlfriend and she’s a great golfer too, a scratch handicap, so she knows what she is doing,” said the Qualifying School specialist.
“She is very supportive and it has been very emotional for both of us, first of all playing for just a Challenge Tour category at Second Stage and then here for a European Tour card, so hopefully we can have an unforgettable finish tomorrow.
“She is a great putter and every time I have a doubt I ask her. She knows my game and my distances very well and she is doing great as a caddie. She gives me that emotional support too and if I have a bogey she might come and say, ‘you’re cute’, so it cheers me up. It’s really nice to have her out there.”
The Stadium Course itself is proving something of a second love for the romantic Valencia native and he is hoping for another stress-free day as he looks to become the first Spanish winner of Final Stage since 2006, when Carlos Rodiles topped the qualifiers.
“I’m not stressed at all on that course,” he said. “I'm playing every shot really calm and positive and I'm not making many mistakes out there.
“I feel like if I have any putts between five and ten metres I have a chance so I don’t need to go for pins and when you don’t have to go for pins it’s a lot easier. I have got a lot of trust in my putter and hopefully it will be the same tomorrow.”
Four shots back in second place is Chile’s Fabrizio Zanotti, who signed for a four under par 68 to move to 17 under par and also virtually guarantee a return to The European Tour, having finished 140th in The 2013 Race to Dubai.
“I’m in a good position but tomorrow I need to do more of what I have been doing these last few days,” said the 30 year old. “I need to hit it shot-by-shot and stay patient. It is going to be a long day again so you just have to do your best.
“It is a little tiring. We have already played five rounds and we’ve still got one to go, but I think the Q-School is a fair tournament. It is a very good way of deciding who is going to play on The European Tour.”
While 32 players currently sit inside the cut mark for a European Tour card on eight under par or better, there are likely to be twists and turns aplenty in what is always one of golf’s most dramatic finales.
The promising 21 year old Belgian and protégé of Nicolas Colsaerts, Thomas Pieters, is on course for a rookie season on The European Tour after a four under par 68 moved him to tied tenth on eleven under.
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