It's a Gross way to start European Tour School Stage 2!

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Germany’s Stephan Gross Jnr, the 2008 European Amateur Champion who finished second in a Challenge Tour event while still in the unpaid ranks, shot an opening eight under par 64 to lead the Qualifying School – Second Stage at Hacienda Del Alamo.
A total of 304 players are competing over four venues in Spain – Hacienda Del Alamo, Costa Bellana Club de Golf, Arcos Gardens and Sherry Golf Jerez – with 74 spots up for grabs to secure a place in the Final Qualifying Stage.
Gross, who played in The 2009 Open at Turnberry as a result of his European Amateur victory at the Esbjerg Golf Club in Denmark the previous year, opened a three stroke lead over Spain’s Pedro Orial, who shot a 67, and four players on 68.
The Arizona State University sophomore (second year) student from Leimen, Germany, won the European Amateur during a glorious three-week spell as he won the German International Amateur title and finished second in the Vodafone Challenge, where he was bidding to become only the third amateur in history to win a Challenge Tour event.
The four Scots in the field of 76 tackling the Dave Thomas-designed course at Hacienda del Alamo had contrasting fortunes. Former Scottish boys match-play champoon Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) matched the par of 72 and is sharing 32nd place. Paul O'Hara had a 74 to be joint 53rd, Stephen Gray (Hayston) had a 75 for a shared of 62nd place and, most disappointing of all at this Murcia venue, Lothians amateur Mark Hillson, the only Scot to make the last eight of this year's British amateur championship, ran up a 79 to be joint 72nd.
The leading 19 players after the four rounds of the Second Stage at Hacienda Del Alamo will progress through to the Final Stage, which takes place over six rounds at PGA Golf de Catalunya from November 28 – December 3.
At Costa Ballena Club de Golf, Spain’s Jesus Maria Arruti, competing in a record 21st consecutive Qualifying School since his first attempt in 1989, shares the lead with German Dennis Kupper and England’s Ben Evans. Former European Tour champion Paul Eales is also competing at Costa Bellena and opened with a solid five under par 67 to lie in joint fifth place.
Chris Kelly (Cawder) had a creditable 69 to be joint 16th and Craig Lee is joint 31st after a 71. Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) had a 73 for a share of 53rd place at this venue.
The leading 18 players on Monday from the Costa Ballena field of 76 will progress to the Final Stage.
Argentina’s Paulo Pinto, who hails from Cordoba, the home town of Masters Champion Angel Cabrera and fellow Argentine legend Eduardo Romero, fared best at Sherry Golf after an eight under par 64 gave him a two shot lead over Swede Johan Axgren.
Raymond Russell was the top Scot at this venue after a Day 1 round of 69. He is in joint 13th place. Rookie pro Wallace Booth and Scott Jamieson had 71s to be joint 29th.
Sharing 43rd place on 72 were Chris Doak, Mark Kerr and Kevin McAlpine. Elliot Saltman had a 73.
The top 18 players from the Sherry Golf field of 75 will qualify for the Final Stage.
England’s Oliver Whiteley, who played on The European Tour in 2006 after successfully progressing through the Qualifying School four years ago, leads the way at Arcos Gardens after a seven under par 65.
Whiteley leads Spain’s Santiago Luna, a veteran of The European Tour who has played over 500 events with one victory, with Jamie Moul, a former GB&Ireland Walker Cup player, in third place after a 67.
US-based Elgin exile and twice former Scottish youths champion Joel Hendry and George Murray from Anstruther are bracketed with some English players in joint 12th place on 70.
On 72 - joint 37th - are the Doherty brothers from the EuroPro Tour, Paul and Jack and the North-east pair of Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) and Scott Henderson (Kings Links).
Carnoustie's Keir McNicoll has left himself with some ground to make up by starting with a 76 to be sharing 65th place.
There are 19 spots available at Arcos Gardens from the field of 77.
SCOREBOARD
All par 72s
ARCOS GARDENS
65 O Whiteley (Eng).
66 S Luna (Spa).
67 J Moul (Eng).
68 W Besseling (Net), M Bothma (SAf), R Sjoberg (Swe).
69 S Doherty Eng), R Hie, N Meitinger (Ger).
Selected scores:
70 J Hendry (Sco), G Murray (Sco), I Keenan (Eng), L Kennedy (Eng), J Watts (Eng) (am) (jt 12th).
72 P Doherty (Sco), J Doherty (Sco), S Henderson (Sco), G Hutcheon (Sco) (jt 37th).
76 K McNicoll (Sco) (jt 65th).

COSTA BALLENA
65 J M Arruti (Spa), B Evans (Eng), D Kupper (Ger).
66 E Dubois (Fra), J Ruth (Eng).
67 P Eales (Eng), O Turnill (Eng).
68 A Bernadet (Fra),A Frayne (Eng), C Garcia (Spa), M F Haastrup (Den), L Moolman (SAf), A Sjostrand (Swe), M Thorp (Nor).
Selected scores:
69 C Kelly (Sco) (jt 16th).
71 C Lee (Sco) (jt 31st).
73 J McCreadie (Sco) (jt 53rd).

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO
64 S Gross jun (Ger).
67 P Oriol (Spa).
68 R Blaum (US), C Ford (Eng), T Leon (US), M McQuillan (Can).
69 J Caldwell (NIr), T Dykes (Wal), W Hefferman (Can), A Maestroni (Ita), C Paisley (Eng) (am).
Selected scores:
72 L Harper (Sco) (jt 32nd).
74 P O'Hara (Sco) (jt 53rd).
75 S Gray (Sco) (jt 62nd).
79 M Hillson (Sco) (am) (jt 72nd).

SHERRY GOLF
64 P Pinto (Arg)
66 J Axgren (Swe).
67 A Johnston (Eng), J Knutzon (US), M Rominger (Swi).
68 P Archer (Eng), P Bocian (Swe), A Mellor (Eng), T Stewart (Aus), S Thornton (Ire).
Selected scores:
69 R Russell (Sco) (jt 13th).
71 W Booth (Sco), S Jamieson (Sco) (jt 29th).
72 C Doak (Sco), M Kerr (Sco), K McAlpine (Sco) (jt 43rd).
73 E Saltman (Sco).