Golf Qualifying Schools: Portmarnock's Noel Fox was the pick of the Irish on the second day of qualifying school (PQ2) at Golf de Saint Cyprien near Perpignan in France. The former Walker Cup player added a level par 73 to a first round 70, for a three-under par halfway total, six shots behind joint leaders Mattias Nilsson (Sweden) and Scottish amateur GJ Gordon.
Fox is tied for 13th, along with seven other players and has given himself every chance of picking up one of the 29 places on offer for the European Tour school with 36 holes remaining.
Damian Mooney and Michael Hoey also enjoyed productive afternoons, both carding one over par, 74s; one under for the tournament and tied 24th.
The news was less edifying for Ireland's other three hopefuls. Ciarán McMonagle languishes in 55th place at three over after a 76, one shot better than Stephen Browne (61st) who added a second successive 75, while Richie Coughlan (67th) is a shot further back after a second round, three over the card, 76.
Chris Devlin is in action at Torre Mirona in northern Spain and is nicely placed on one under following a level par second round of 72. He is one of eight players in a tie for 17th.
There are 33 places available at Torre Mirona as there are at Perelada where Waterville's David Higgins slumped to a five over par, 76 to be 13 shots behind the leader, Sweden's Magnus Carlsson and lying in 73rd place.
DETAILS
At St Cyprien: 137 M Nilsson (Swe) 65, 72, G J Gordon (Sco) 65, 72; 139 D Muscroft (Eng) 76, 72; 140 P Archer (Eng) 68, 72, J L Guepy (Fra) 68, 72, B Telleiria (Fra) 67, 73, P Lima (Fra) 67, 73; 141 S Edwards (Wal) 70, 71; 142 S Jones (Aus) 71, 71, F Delamontagne (Fra) 72, 70. Irish scores: 143 N Fox 70, 73; 145 M Hoey 71, 74, D Mooney 71, 74; 149 C McMonagle 75, 74; 150 S Browne 75, 75; 151 R Coughlan
At Torre Minora: 136 D Gaunt (Aus) 69, 67; 139 T Whitehouse 67, 72 (Eng), J M Arruti (Esp) 67, 72; 140 J Skold (Swe) 67, 73, G Canizares (Esp) 67, 73, J Habig (USA) 65, 75, A Johnson (USA) 70, 70; 141 B Liddle (USA) 69, 72, P Dwyer (Eng) 70, 71, F Roca (Esp) 69, 72 . Irish score: 143 C Devlin 71, 72.
At Perelada: 134 M Karlsson (Swe) 65, 69; 135 A Sobrinho (Por) 70, 65, T Norret (Den) 66, 69, C Rodgers (Eng) 67, 68; 136 M King (Eng) 68, 68; 137 M Pullan (Eng) 69, 68; 138 L Bond (Eng) 69, 69, P Streeter (Eng) 68, 70, M Reale (Ita) 65, 73, E De la Riva (Esp) 66, 72. Irish score: 147 D Higgins 71, 76
