Ahead of the final stage of the Qualifying School process being held next week at PGA Catalunya in northern Spain, over 300 players are this week battling it out across four venues in the south of the country for a coveted place in the final field, a battle that began today.
Swedish Challenge Tour Member Joakim Lagergren holds a one shot lead at the El Valle Golf Resort, Murcia, after posting a stunning eight under par first-round 63.
Lagergren, who finished 86th in the 2011 Challenge Tour Order of Merit, carded a flawless bogey-free round that included four birdies on the front nine – at the first, third, seventh and eighth holes – before matching this par total on the back nine after eagling the 296-yard par four 11th and holing birdies at the 12th and 16th holes.
The Swede, who recently turned 20, made it to the final stage last December only to finish 59th and went on this year to complete his first full season on the Challenge Tour after turning professional last year.
The Netherlands’ Floris De Vries, who finished fourth in the 2010 Challenge Tour rankings, has played his first full year on The European Tour this year is one shot back from Lagergren after shooting an excellent seven under par 64.
De Vries, currently 169th in the 2011 Race to Dubai, carded six birdies on the back nine to come home in a superb 29 shots.
Meanwhile, three players are tied for third place in the early standings, with Welshman Mark Laskey, England’s David J Smith, and Scottish amateur James White a further shot back after signing for six under par 65s.
South Africa’s Allan Versfield and England’s Graeme A Clark are tied for the early lead at La Manga Club, Alicante, after both men shot superb seven under par rounds of 66 in the opening day’s play.
Versfield, currently 18th in the Order of Merit on his native Sunshine Tour, posted an unblemished score that included five birdies – at the fourth, ninth, 13th, 16th and 17th holes – plus a fine eagle at the testing 587-yard par five sixth hole.
Meanwhile, Clark, who hails from Doncaster in England, equalled the South African’s efforts after shooting an impressive eight birdies and one bogey over the South Course at La Manga today. The Englishman made it to this stage in last year’s Qualifying School only to miss out on a trip to PGA Catalunya after eventually finishing 59th at the penultimate hurdle.
It was a day for good scoring in Cartagena, with Wales’ Seon E Bebb and Challenge Tour Member Italian Andrea Perrino just one off the pace after both carding six under par rounds of 67, while five other players sit just one shot further back after the first round exchanges.
Former amateur World Number One, American Peter Uihlein, is in a three-way tie for the lead at four under par after the opening day’s exchanges at the Costa Ballena Ocean Club in Jerez.
Uihlein, the 2010 US Amateur Champion, started steadily with seven pars before making birdie at the par five eighth and again at the tenth, 12th, 13th and 17th holes, with the only blemish coming in the form of a bogey at the long par three 14th.
Spaniard Pedro Oriol, who won the 24th card at the 2010 Qualifying School Final Stage, also shot a steady 68 to join Uihlein at the top after the first round, as did Australian Wade Ormsby who afterwards revealed that the windy weather had played its part in a testing day in Jerez.
Scotland’s Jack Doherty, the Netherlands’ Taco Remkes and England’s Sam Hutsby all posted three under par 69s, with eleven players a further shot back at two under par.
At the Las Colinas Golf and Country Club, Denmark’s Andreas Hartø is one of five players tied for the early lead at five under par after the first round.
Hartø, a two-time winner on the Challenge Tour in 2010, bounced back from a bogey at the par five third hole to card six birdies – at the fourth, sixth, 11th, 15th, 16th and 18th holes – to secure an opening salvo of 66.
His compatriot Morten Orum Madsen also signed for the same score in a round that featured a fine eagle on the par five 18th hole, while South Africa’s Le Roux Ferreira, Finland’s Antii Ahokas and England’s Benn Barham also equalled the Danes’ scores to make a strong start to their quests for a place in next week’s final stage.
However, six men lurk one shot further back at the close of Friday’s play, including Frenchman Christophe Brazillier and Scotland’s Elliot Saltman, after posting four under par 67s.
Over 300 players, across four venues in the south of Spain, are this week bidding for a place in the Final Stage of Qualifying School due to be held at PGA Catalunya, Spain, from December 10-15, however Qualifying School Director Mike Stewart earlier made an announcement as regards to the eventual amount of spots available in the field for the final.
Stewart said: “With the Second Stage of the Qualifying School being played against the penultimate event on the European Tour (the UBS Hong Kong Open) and the various anomalies and uncertainty that this has created, the entry deadline for the Qualifying School Final has been extended to 17.00 (UK time) on Sunday 4th December.
“The number of exempt places will therefore be finalised on Sunday evening and the exact number of qualifying spots from Second Stage will be determined and published following this.
“Nevertheless we can confirm at this point that there will be a minimum of 16 spots available at each venue.”
