Kennedy keeps up chance of DP World Tour card
At 43rd Final Dp Lies Picture: Place Golf Alcalde/getty Infinitum In Aitor At Stage Tour Qualifying Kennedy In Tarragona, World Max The Images Spain School
Dublin amateur Max Kennedy has guaranteed himself a Challenge Tour card for 2025 after making the cut at the Q-School final stage in Spain.
Kennedy maintained his consistent form with a bogey-free round of two-under 70 at the Hills Course at Infinitum to sit at eight-under overall. He currently lies in a tie for 43rd place, with the top 20 and ties gaining their DP World Tour cards after the final two rounds.
However, there was disappointment for West Waterford's Gary Hurley and Ballymena's Dermot McElroy, who both missed the cut in Tarragona.
Edoardo Molinari will take a two-stroke lead into the final two days of Final Stage Qualifying School as he moved a step closer to regaining DP World Tour playing status for 2025.
The Italian signed for a three under par round of 68 on the Lakes Course to move to 20 under par for the week, two clear of Frenchman Clement Sordet who sits in second place on 18 under par.
Molinari has led the six-round marathon since climbing into the lead on day two after posting a ten under par round of 61, and despite seeing his lead of four overnight cut to two, he’s optimistic about his chances with 36 holes to play.
“It would be nice to win it,” he said. “I’m just trying to do the best I can and at the end of the week we’ll see where I am.
“I feel like I left a few shots on the course the last few days. Over the first two days I probably didn’t deserve to be 17 under, so in the end it always evens itself out. I’m hitting the ball well and hopefully I can make some putts over the last two days.”
Molinari finished 140th in the 2024 Race to Dubai Rankings to miss out on retaining his DP World Tour playing privileges but looks set to regain them at the earliest opportunity after impressing through the first 72 holes in Tarragona.
“All-in-all I’ve played well all week so far,” he added. “I’ve been hitting lots of fairways and greens and giving myself a lot of chances.
“I made a lot of putts the first two days, and not so many the last two, but that’s golf.
“I hit the ball well today, I just made a couple of silly bogeys and couldn’t make a putt all day, but my game was very solid tee-to-green, so I’m in good shape.”
South African Justin Harding posted a seven under par 64 on the Lakes Course to move into third place on 17 under par, with Scotsman David Law also signing for a seven under 64 to share fourth on 16 under par alongside Dane Alexander George Frances and Spaniard Albert Boneta.
Three players are one shot further back in seventh on 15 under par, including Norwegian Alexander Settemsdal, American David Bryant and Italian Filippo Celli.
83 players made the 72-hole cut, with the leading 20 players and ties after six rounds earning DP World Tour playing privileges on the 2025 Race to Dubai.
The fifth round gets under way at 8:40am local time tomorrow, with Molinari teeing off alongside Sordet and Harding at 10:55am.
