Five Musketeers Make Final Exam

Chris Devlin, David Higgins, Niall Kearney, Gareth Shaw and Simon Thornton are amongst thef 73 players  who earned a chance to battle it out for a European Tour card in Girona from November 24-29 as they emerged from the 303 taking part in Second Stage, which was hosted at four different venues across Spain.

As ever, there was tension aplenty with play-offs taking place at each venue to make or break the dreams of a select few of those hoping to ply their trade on the biggest stage in Europe in The 2013 Race to Dubai.

Liam Bond of Wales, Scotsman Jamie McLeary, Italy’s Nicolo Ravana and Dutchman Tim Sluiter were all victorious at their respective venues in Qualifying School Second Stage to seal their places at Final Stage at PGA Catalunya Resort later this month.

Amongst those to claim spots at the death were American Scott Pinckney, who gained a European Tour card for the 2012 season via Qualifying School but failed to retain it, Ondrej Lieser, who is hoping to become the first Czech player in history to gain a European Tour category, and the only Norwegian on The European Tour last season, Knut Borsheim.The winners, meanwhile, had no such stress as they soared to the top of the leaderboard, all carding final rounds of 66 or better.

Sluiter, who almost claimed a maiden Challenge Tour victory last month but was pipped in a play-off by Chris Doak at the ALLIANZ Open de Lyon, signed for a five under par 66 to win by a shot at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club with a score of 16 under.A total of 19 players qualified for Final Stage at Las Colinas, including former US Amateur Champion Byeong-hun An and two of Sluiter’s compatriots Daan Huizing, who finished runner-up, and Taco Remkes.

Jamie McLeary, a former winner on the Challenge Tour, finished three shots clear at Campo de Golf El Saler thanks to a final round 66 which left him on 10 under par in total.Amongst the 17 players who finished behind McLeary and sealed their path to Final Stage was athe experienced Swede Pelle Edberg.

Ravano’s six under par 65 earned him the bragging rights at Elle Valle Golf Resort as he finished one shot clear on 12 under par and he will be joined by three-time winner on the Challenge Tour in 2012, Sam Little, as well as 2009 Walker Cup team mates Sam Hutsby, who finished runner-up in Final Stage last year, and Luke Goddard.Bond’s remarkable record in Qualifying School continued as a six under par final round 65 handed him victory in El Lumine Golf & Beach Club, having won First Stage at Frilford Heath earlier this month.

Zane Scotland, who became the youngest English player to qualify for The Open Championship in 1999, also qualified from Lumine, as did England’s Tom Murray, son of former European Tour winner and Senior Tour regular Andrew Murray.Those who made the cut will be joined by exempt players as they return to Spain for the gruelling six round marathon of Final Stage, with the best 25 players (and ties) gaining a Category 11b Membership of The European Tour and those making the cut after four rounds earning a category for the Challenge Tour.

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Happy Schooldays for McGee and Devlin

Ruaidhri McGee won't have too far to travel for the second stage of European Tour qualifying after safely negotiating the first phase at Frilford Heath.

The Derry-born pro, based in Spain since the age of 15, heads to one of four courses in his adopted homeland next month as he bids for a place at final qualifying.

A final-round five-under-par 67 sealed fifth place for McGee.

Ballymena's Chris Devlin ended with a three-over-par round of 75, but the hard work had been done on Day 2 with a 64 and he tied for seventh to book his place.

John-Daniel Guiney's chances vanished as he came home in 41 as a 77 left him four strokes off the cut-off point.

In the other first-stage qualifier in Portugal, there was despair for Michael McGeady, who missed out by a single shot.

Four more Irishmen also left Lisbon disappointed -- Andrew Hogan (76), Glen Robinson (75) and Richard Kilpatrick (75) all finished five off qualifying. 

Dara Lernihan (77) also missed out.

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Devlin Still in Euro School Chase

Ballymena's Chris Devlin stayed on course to progress to the second stage of the European Tour qualifying school as he posted a one- over-par 73 at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire for a 54-hole aggregate of 210.

Devlin goes into the fourth and final round of the first stage just one stroke behind leader Liam Bond, the former Welsh champion.

The Ballymena ace dropped two strokes on the opening hole but then got his act together to reach the turn in 38 and finished with a birdie three.

Ruaidhri McGee, the Irishman now living in Spain's Murcia region, is still very much in the hunt for one of the 29 places at stake after a 72, which left him joint ninth on 216. 

McGee posted halves of 37 and 35.

John-Daniel Guiney is joint 35th on 220 and still in with a chance of making progress, but Brian Casey, David Rawluk and Mike Kelly have drifted out of contention.

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Where are they Now - Chris Devlin

Originally from Ballymena Chris Devlin has been pursuing his golfing dream for a number of years and mostly in the United States. This week however the Ballymena man is playing the Irish Open hosted at Royal Portrush.

Some years ago he squeezed one of the last places at the European Tour School Stage 1 Qualifier at The Oxfordshire in 2009 but chose not to compete at the next stage and did not travel back from the United States. It was his second attempt having failed at Stage 1 the previous season at Arcos Gardens where he finished 32nd. 

That same season Chris also played in the Challenge of Ireland presented by Moyvalley where he finished in 68th place in 2008. 

Some years ago Devlin switched Country Antrim for the southern United States when he won a golfing scholarship at the University of Alabama in 1996 where he studied until 2000. Within a year he turned professional and has been trying to make the breakthrough ever since whilst living full time in the USA – where he married his girlfriend Michelle in 2004. 

In 2008 he lived the golfing dream when he teed up alongside Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington at the US Open in Torrey Pines becoming Northern Ireland’s only standard-bearer at the Major, following the failure of Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell to qualify for the event. 

The contrast was one of the big stories at the time as Devlin was playing the American Hooters tour - the third tier of professional golf in the States and equivalent to EURO Pro Tour – was suddenly into the big time after a fourth place at the 36-hole qualifying event in Columbus, Ohio. 

Amongst those Devlin saw off on the qualifying day were former Masters Champions Fred Couples, Chris DiMarco, father and son players Bill and Jay Haas, former US Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman and Kevin Stadler. 

In the end Torrey Pines was not a dream, even from the start, when he holed the first in eight strokes to finish in the opening round in 83, followed by an 84 in round two. Having always had ambitions to play the main tour in America or in Europe the hope was that the 2008 US Open would be the break he needed. But it was not to be. 

Over recent years he has continued playing the NGA Hooters Professional tour - where Ballyclare's Gareth Maybin played before finishing off closer to home on the Challenge Tour in 2008. Indeed, former Masters champion Zach Johnson, former Open winner Ben Curtis and double Major winner John Daly also competed on the Hooters Tour before making it on the PGA Tour. 

On a personal front Devlin has also faced some challenges as in his early years in the USA he noticed a continuous sense of fatigue knowing at time it was affecting his golf and the reason he was not playing as well as he could. 

It took four years to diagnose the mystery illness which was a neuromuscular condition which could only be cured by open heart surgery and he underwent an open heart surgery in 2006. 

"Some doctors said I had an allergy to Bermuda grass while another thought I had a food allergy. Obviously it was a shock when it was eventually diagnosed but ever since the operation I've been getting stronger and stronger.” 

"I've always loved the game and I've always been a very hard worker - it was always going to be difficult to give up my dream." 

Fact File 

Date of Birth: April 17th, 1975 

Attachment: 

Turned Professional: 2001 

Tours: Hooters Tour, Gateway Tour

www.ballymenagolfclub.com