Paul Doherty and Paul Cormack fail at Stage 1

McNicoll gains pass marks to Stage 2

Carnoustie's Keir McNicoll has cleared the first hurdle in his bid to play on the European Tour next season.
After four rounds of the Qualifying School Stage 1 event at The London Club, Ash in Kent, the former Scotland amateur international claimed one of the 24 qualifying spots for Stage 2.
McNicoll finished on seven-under-par 281 with very steady rounds of 69, 71, 70 and 71.
But former Scottish boys' match-play champion Paul Doherty and North-east Alliance champion Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) failed to make the cut at five-under-par 283 or better. They lose the huge entry fee - £1,360 - and have nowhere to go except the PGA EuroPro Tour or another satellite tour on the Continent.
Doherty finished with a level par 72 for a level par total of 288, but to progress at this level you have to shoot quite a few under par.
Cormack also signed off with a 72 for 289.
England's Ricki Neil-Jones headed the qualifiers for Stage 2 by four shots, thanks to a course record, nine-under-par 63 today. He had eighth birdies and an eagle.

QUALIFIERS FOR STAGE 2
Par 288 (4x72)
270 R Neil-Jones (Eng) 67 67 73 63,
274 Y Ali (Eng) 73 65 69 67,
275 M McGeady (Irl) 67 70 71 67,
276 T Sluiter (Ned) 65 69 72 70, S Brown (am) (Eng) 70 70 71 65,
277 K Staunton (Eng) 71 71 68 67, J Barnes (Eng) 70 69 69 69, P Leijon (Swe) 73 68 71 65, T Sherreard (am) (Eng) 68 70 67 72,
278 S Hodgson (am) (Eng) 71 69 67 71,
279 M Ford (Eng) 69 74 69 67, A Johnston (Eng) 68 69 66 76, W Roebuck (Eng) 66 75 69 69,
280 D Griffiths (Eng) 69 69 72 70,
281 K McNicoll (Sco) 69 71 70 71, K Harper (Eng) 72 67 71 71,
282 N Harris (Eng) 72 72 69 69, R Whitelock (Eng) 72 69 70 71,
283 B Fox (USA) 70 73 70 70, N Turner (Irl) 74 70 72 67, B Fowles (Eng) 72 71 71 69, S Norris (RSA) 71 74 72 66, R Harrison (Eng) 66 70 77 70, L O'Neill (am) (Eng) 73 76 66 68.
FAILED TO QUALIFY
284 F McGuirk (Eng) 71 67 75 71, J Cunliffe (RSA) 71 73 70 70, J Sheffield (Eng) 74 68 70 72, D Coupland (am) (Eng) 69 71 75 69,
285 R Kirwan (Eng) 71 69 71 74, J Gibb (Eng) 77 67 72 69, D Callaway (Eng) 72 72 69 72, G Parker (Eng) 72 70 71 72,
286 S Palmer (Eng) 75 68 73 70, R Edginton (Eng) 73 73 69 71, L Goddard (Eng) 75 70 71 70, M Hu (Chn) 71 73 68 74, J Titlow (am) (Eng) 73 72 73 68,
287 J Rattan (USA) 74 73 70 70, R Blizard (Aus) 69 73 71 74, J Eerdmans (Ned) 71 70 74 72, C Wilson (am) (Eng) 73 74 73 67,
288 P Doherty (Sco) 68 73 75 72, T Alexander (USA) 77 68 70 73, A Martin (Aus) 70 76 73 69, J Clarke (Eng) 73 74 69 72, S Fallon (am) (Eng) 76 73 70 69,
289 P Cormack (Sco) 74 76 67 72, P Maddy (Eng) 69 72 73 75, D Perrett (Eng) 65 72 76 76, S Franklin (Irl) 73 70 74 72, N Redfern (Eng) 68 73 76 72,
290 R Perrett (Eng) 68 74 74 74, T Burden (Eng) 75 68 72 75, G Woodman (Eng) 69 78 72 71, S McCance (Eng) 76 68 72 74,
291 R Laino (Eng) 77 71 70 73, R Wallis (Eng) 67 69 76 79, A Mellor (Eng) 73 74 73 71, F Christensen (Swe) 76 71 70 74,
292 C Schwierz (Ger) 71 76 73 72, J Horn (Eng) 71 75 70 76, S Matton (am) (Eng) 76 72 72 72,
293 B Banks (Eng) 76 71 72 74, I Brown (Eng) 79 71 70 73, J Hearn (Eng) 72 70 78 73, J Webber (Eng) 71 71 75 76, F Lagarto (Esp) 77 69 74 73,
294 N Smith (Eng) 73 70 75 76,
297 M Vandenberg (Eng) 71 72 75 79, B O'Dell (Eng) 80 67 73 77,
308 M Raven (am) (Eng) 74 73 73 88.

STAGE 2 QUALIFIERS AT RIBAGOLFE, PORTUGAL
Par 288
283 B Etchart (Esp) 71 72 68 72, T Cruz (Por) 69 72 71 71,
284 R Bastard (Eng) 74 70 70 70, R Santos (Por) 72 72 71 69,
286 S Garcia (Esp) 73 72 68 73,
287 Y El Hassani (Mar) 73 75 66 73,
288 N Bollini (USA) 71 72 73 72,
289 O Fraustro (Mex) 70 72 74 73, J Pettersson (Swe) 68 72 78 71, M Rosenfeld (USA) 75 70 73 71, M Ureta (Chi) 75 72 72 70, S Gutierrez (Esp) 75 67 73 74,
290 G Clark (Eng) 76 71 68 75, X Guzman (Esp) 72 70 74 74, J Kelly (USA) 72 75 71 72,
291 C Balmaseda (Esp) 74 75 72 70, T Haylock (Eng) 76 73 72 70, D Johnson (USA) 74 72 73 72,
292 A Rosado (Por) 74 70 71 77, D Noh (Esp) 70 74 73 75,