Garcia Chases McIlroy in Turkey

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Sergio Garcia hopes to take his pursuit of “quite extraordinary” Rory McIlroy to the last event of The Race to Dubai with victory in this week's Turkish Airlines Open presented by the Ministry of Youth and Sport.

The Spaniard requires victory at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Antalya and another at next week's DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in order to have any chance of preventing McIlroy winning The Race to Dubai for a second time in three seasons.

That Garcia is still in the hunt at all is testament to the 34 year old's form this season – having won in Qatar he has also amassed three runner-up finishes, two of them to McIlroy at The Open Championship and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

As well as those wins McIlroy collected a second Major Championship of the year at the US PGA Championship and took The European Tour's flagship BMW PGA Championship, and Garcia was quick to praise his opponent for the European Number One crown.

“I'm a big believer that if you have done something extraordinary to be able to achieve that, to win [The Race to Dubai] before the last tournament happens, why shouldn't you be the winner,” said Garcia, who along with Jamie Donaldson and Marcel Siem is one of only three players with a chance to stop McIlroy heading into the penultimate event of The Final Series.

“I think Rory did something quite extraordinary this season and this summer more than anything, and maybe he deserves to be The Race to Dubai Champion, even before we play the Dubai World Championship next week. 

“There's no doubt that it's nice to be a part of it, to have still a little chance of winning it. 

“It's obviously very difficult but to at least be in the race for it and have a possibility of becoming The Race to Dubai Champion, it's something that you look forward to and I'm going to need a couple of really, really good weeks - we'll try it until it's over.” 

Garcia missed the inaugural staging of this event last year, but was determined to come after hearing his fellow European Tour pros rave about the venue.

“I definitely have heard a lot of good comments,” added Garcia. “Obviously it's a fairly new tournament but a lot of good comments. 

“It's one of the things that made my decision easier to come and play this year. I'm excited about seeing the course today - I heard it's in good shape. I heard the rough is a little bit high but it looks really, really good, and obviously the resort is quite spectacular, so we are enjoying that.”

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McGeady Survives School Test

Attrition is the word most commonly used about European Tour Qualifying School and the Second Stage has again taken its toll this week in Spain, ending the hopes for next season for seven Irish golfers. 

Only the one player earning a spot for the Final Stage next week at PGA Catalunya.

Niall Kearney the unexpected casualty after a one over par final round 72 saw the Dubliner drop 15 places and out of contention when he finished T21.

Having started the day in 4th place - and looking comfortable - it disappointingly proved insufficient for Kearney as those around him fired four and five under par rounds, leaving Kearney short sided at Lumine Golf and Beach Club.

Only the top 17 finishers at each venue and ties qualifying.

Kearney however earns Category 15 Membership of The European Tour for next season having finished within the top 25 places.

Michael McGeady enjoyed better news after clinching a share of fourteenth place after a final 70 - for a 3 under par overall at Campo Golf El Saler. The former Irish PGA Champion making the turn level and then picking up two shots on the home stretch to ensure his place inside the minimum mark.

Niall Turner signed for a 70 and moved up ten spots to a share 38th place at Las Colinas Golf and Country Club. But without making it any closer to full tour playing rights for 2015 on this occasion.

David Higgins carded a third round 70 for a share of 41st place and Mark Murphy dropped to 62nd after a final round 75. Both Waterville men left without full rights either.

Brendan McCarroll signed for 79 and share of 68th place.

Ruaidrhi McGee ended his campaign this year with a 68 and share of 51st place at Panoramica Golf and Sport Resort.

Gareth Shaw carded a 71 albeit with an improved position in 60th place.

Chris Paisley won his Second Stage event of The European Tour Qualifying School at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club with a five under par last day round of 66, which took the Englishman to 17 under in total. At the Spanish event, 18 players progressed.

Those 18 spaces where hotly contested and a four man playoff ensued for the remaining three spots when Englishman Matthew Cort, Dane Christian Gloet, Australian Geoffrey Drakeford and German Sebastian Heisele all finished in tied 16th position on seven under par.

Heisele and Gloet progressed in 16th and 17th place respectively, birdieing the second and third playoff holes, while it was Cort who missed out as Drakeford birdied the fourth playoff hole capturing the last qualifying spot in the process.

In the corresponding event at Panoramica Golf & Sport Resort, Englishman Matthew Southgate leapfrogged his compatriot Toby Tree with a five under par 65 to steal first place on 22 under par. However, again the real drama unfolded lower down the leaderboard on 13 under par as a sudden death six man playoff ensued for the remaining spaces.

After a tense battle, it was South African amateur Zander Lombard who took the 15th spot and Dane Jeff Winther the 16th. Gary Lockerbie then proceeded to hold his nerve to take the 17th place with a par three on the fifth playoff hole.

Elsewhere, Welshman Garry Houston stole the show at Campo de Golf El Saler, firing home in a seven under 65 to win the event.

But as with the other events, the real action came at the cut off for progression; Dane Daniel Løkke and Englishman Chris Lloyd hung on to take two of the last three qualifying places, where they were joined by Norwegian Espen Kofstad, who leapt up four positions to snatch qualification on two under par.

Meanwhile at the final event, Portuguese whiz Ricardo Gouveia completed his qualifying campaign with a rock steady level par 71 at Lumine Golf & Beach Club to stay at 18 under and advance on pole. A quartet of four players, consisting of France’s Guillaume Cambis, Englishmen Garrick Porteous and Nathan Kimsey and American Wes Homan, all shared the last progression spaces at nine under par.

Across the four venues, a total of 69 players qualified to the Final Stage where the top 25 players plus ties will earn their playing rights for The 2015 Race to Dubai.

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Turkey Action for Darren Clarke

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Darren Clarke, a five-time Ryder Cup winner as a player and two-time victor as vice captain, tees off in the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Youth and Sport.

Shane Lowry also plays this week in the searsh for a place the world top 50.

In all nine members of Europe’s triumphant team from Gleneagles in the star-studded field, there will be a distinct Ryder Cup feel to the US$7 million event.

Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer, defending champion Victor Dubuisson, Jamie Donaldson, Thomas Bjørn, Stephen Gallacher, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter will all lock horns at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Belek, Antalya, from November 13-16.

The links to golf’s greatest team event do not end there, however, with Miguel Angel Jiménez, who served as a vice captain to Paul McGinley at Gleneagles, also teeing it up along with the 2010 captain and course designer Colin Montgomerie. 

Also confirmed for the tournament is England’s Luke Donald, a four-time winner of The Ryder Cup.

Ahmet Ali Ağaoğlu, president of the Turkish Golf Federation, said: “We are so proud that such a strong field will be playing at the Turkish Airlines Open.

“The Ryder Cup caught the imagination of the golfing world and beyond, so it is a big honour to have so many of the players that showed such quality and passion for the sport together again in Turkey.

“We believe that the depth of quality in the field reflects the growing importance of this tournament in the golfing calendar.”

Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open Champion, and two-time Major winner John Daly will also feature in the penultimate event of The 2014 European Tour campaign.

The 78 players participating will be battling it out for a prize fund of US $7million.

The top 60 players in The Race to Dubai rankings after the Turkish Airlines Open will then move on to the United Arab Emirates for the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, the final tournament on The 2014 European Tour International Schedule.

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Scott Seeks McIlroy Sydney Pairing

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Adam Scott is pleading with organisers of the Australian Open to play in the same group as Rory McIlory at this year’s tournament in Sydney.

Twelve months ago Scott missed the chance to win his own national championship when an error on the final hole allowed McIlroy to take the title by a single shot.

The duo, now ranked No 1 and No 2 in the world, tee-up again this year when the event starts on November 27.

And Aussie Scott believes he and the Ulsterman should be paired together for the opening two rounds.

Scott said: "I believe the organisers should take advantage and put Rory and myself together because it does happen occasionally at US Opens where they pair the players according to their rankings.

"It's not often we have the world’s number one and number two ranked players in the same tournament in Australia"

"It's not often we have the world’s number one and number two ranked players in the same tournament in Australia and it would be fun to do, and I would certainly enjoy that."

Regarding last year’s slip up at Royal Sydney, where Scott bogeyed the 72nd hole which McIlroy birdied, he went on: "It annoyed me for a little while.

"To mess up on the very last hole of the last of the four tournaments I played back home last year was very, very frustrating."

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Kearney Eyes PGA Catalunya Return

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The end of day three at the second stage of European Tour Qualifying School has crystallised the dreams of some of the Irish hopefuls in Spain on Sunday and the chance for a spot in the final qualifying at PGA Catalunya next weekend.

Niall Kearney looks set to return after a blistering sixty-six pushed him up to a share of fourth place at Lumine Golf and Beach Club on Sunday, with five birdies on the card without loss. 

With the top 17 and ties qualifying Kearney looks set to make the trip to PGA Catalunya for third successive season.

Michael McGeady finished in share of sixteenth place after a third round 72 at Campo Golf El Saler to finish one under par overall. But more importantly inside the mark in 16th place with one round left to play on Monday.

McGeady got little payback from his day, trading one bogey and birdie in an otherwise faultless round. But a cluttered leader board around him leaves little room for manoeuvre on Monday and still under some pressure.

Niall Turner in contrast signed for a 72 and heads into Monday in 49th place at Las Colinas Golf and Country Club with little prospect of progressing.

David Higgins carded a third round 70 for a share of 40th place and ends his fifteenth trip to Q School at the second stage.

Mark Murphy remains 17 places adrift of fellow Waterville man after signing for a 72 and unable to fulfil his dream this year of playing on the European Tour.

Brendan McCarroll signed for another 70 and remains in share of 65th place.

Ruaidrhi McGee has been unable to match the form of last season and his third round 70 at Panoramica Golf and Sport Resort leaves him with no chance of further progress this season. 

A double bogey six on the sixth hole undoing the gains of five birdies on Sunday.

Gareth Shaw carded a 71 for 69th place.

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