PGA EuroPro Tour Final Eliminator

Jack McDonald posts 71 on pro debut at Q School, same score as Paul McKechnie

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Ayrshire's Jack McDonald marked his professional debut with a one-under-par round of 71 as he and Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) led the Scottish chase for one of the top 30 places at the end of the 54-hole PGA EuroPro Tour Final Qualifying School at Frilford Heath Golf Club, Oxfordshire.

McDonald, pictured right,  birdied the fifth, eighth and 17th, dropping shots at the first and 18th.
McKechnie, a winner on the EuroPro Tour in the past, birdied the first, third, fifth and 16th in halves of 34 and 37.
The two Scots are tied for 11th place, three behind the English leader Billy Downing (Truro) who had a 68

Fraserburgh's Kris Nicol (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) and Paul Cormack (Bay Hill) got off to the best start of all the North-east players involved

Nicol shot a par 72, birdieing the ninth, 15th and 17th to be tied 21st in the field of 240

Aberdeen-born Cormack has played the American mini-tours for the last few years. He also had a 72, coming home in 33.

Cousins Craig and Sean Lawrie are walking a tightrope. Only the leading 80 and ties at the end of the second round will go forward to the final 18 holes.

Craig Lawrie is tied 88th with a 75 while Sean is tied 118th with a 76.

Louis Gaughan (Bathgate) is alongside Cormack and Nicol on the 72 mark  
 +Scroll down past the scores to view the official News Release from the PGA EuroPro Tour

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES

Par 72

68 B Downing (Truro)

69 N Kearney (Royal Dublin), J Maw (Rockliffe Hall), R Law (Low Laithes)

70 A Wright (unatt), P Newman (E Berkshir), B Spooner (Woodhall Spa), N McCarthy (Moortown), J Coyle (Burstwick), R James (Aberystwyth).

SCOTS SCORES

71 J McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), P McKechnie (Braid Hills) (T11)
72 P Cormack (Bay Hill), L Gaughan (Bathgate), K Nicol (Paul Lawrie GC) (T21)
74  J Henry (Clydebank and Dist), N Henderson (Renaissance Club), B Neil (unatt), P Robinson (Largs), W Booth (Comrie), K McAlpine (unatt) (T52)
75 R Campbell (Falkirk) (am), C Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC) (T88)
76 J Steven (Clydeway Golf), J Hendrick (Pollok), S Lawrie (Paul Lawrie GC) (T118)
77 C Sutherland (Lynx Golf), M Patterson (Kilmacolm), C Baird (Bothwell Castle) (am) (T142)
78 J McGhee (Whitehill House), F Moore (Glenbervie), Z Saltman (Archerfield Links) (T166)
79 J Duff (Newmachar) (T196)
80 C O'Neil (Mearns Castle) (T211)
82 S Borrowman (Dollar), F McKenna (Balmore) (T224)  

 FINAL STAGE QUALIFYING: DAY ONE ROUND-UP
 News Release from Nick Teale
 

Billy Downing leads after the first round of Final Stage Qualifying School for the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

The Truro Golf Club representative carded a -4, 68 for his opening round on the Blue Course at Frilford Heath Golf Club, where 240 golfers play one round on each the Red and Blue Courses at Frilford Heath on Wednesday, April 6 and Thursday, April 7 before a cut to the leading 80 players and ties play a concluding 18 holes on the Blue Course on Friday, April 8.

Players are competing to earn the highest possible category on the 2016 HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour. All those who have progressed to Final Stage have already earned at least a category 14, with golfers making the Final Stage cut earning a minimum category 10 and the top 30 earning category 3.

Three players share third on -3 at the end of a where wind made scoring difficult. Niall Kearney (The Royal Dublin) carded a 69 on the Red Course, while James Maw (Rockliffe Hall) and Richard Law (Low Laithes Golf Club) both shot 69 around the Blue.

Downing reached -4 despite a bogey at the first on the Blue Course, largely thanks to eagles at the 8^th and 15^th. He also opened with a 68 the last time he played Final Stage Qualifying in 2014, although on that occasion he had played the Red Course first.

Former football Jimmy Bullard (Wisley Golf Club), who turned professional in golf after competing at Final Stage Qualifying for the Tour in 2013, shot a five-over-par 77 on the Red Course for a share of 142^nd.

A full list of exemption categories can be found at www.europrotour.com/about/categories.