Ireland’s Daniel Mulligan claimed a one-shot victory at the MENA Golf Tour’s England Q-School after battling torrential rain and strong winds at the Royal Automobile Club’s Old Course.
Mulligan finished at six under par, one ahead of Spain’s Borja Martin, Norway’s Markus Braadlie and England’s Jack Hawksby. With four players sharing 15th place at level par, 18 players earned full cards for the season ahead.
Keith Waters, Chairman and Commissioner of the MENA Golf Tour, praised the qualifiers for their performances in difficult conditions. “Congratulations to every player who finished tied 15th or better and earned their full MENA Golf Tour card,” he said. “To produce that standard of golf in such challenging conditions was hugely impressive. It showed the level of talent needed to master the tricky but excellently prepared greens on the Old Course.
“We’re very grateful to the Royal Automobile Club, who were outstanding hosts. They set the bar high, and that reflects exactly what the MENA Golf Tour wants to provide for our players: the very best playing experience, wherever we go.
“We look forward to welcoming our new card holders and seeing them compete in what promises to be an exciting season.”
Mulligan grinds through the rain
For Mulligan, victory was the reward for keeping his composure through the worst of the weather.
“It was a tough day out there,” he said. “The rain was absolutely torrential for the first 12 holes, so it was just about taking it one shot at a time, keeping everything as dry as possible and continuing to grind away. I’m really pleased with how I handled it.
“Earning my MENA Tour card is a great feeling. I can’t wait to get out and play some events over the winter, hopefully in a bit of sunshine! I’ve never played in Egypt before, so I’m really looking forward to it.
“I don’t really know anyone on the Tour at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll get to know plenty of the players as the season goes on.”
Hill qualifies on the number
Shergo Al Kurdi, Rio Saigal, Faisal Salhab and amateur Harry Butler shared fifth at three under. Marcel Fonseca, Damien Perrier, Enrico Di Nitto and Freddie Parlby tied for ninth at two under, while Tom Osborne and amateur Sam Epstein shared 13th at one under.
Josh Hill qualified right on the number, finishing at level par alongside Guillaume Chevalier, Josef Hacker and Marc Boucher. Hill, who sank the winning putt for Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup, returns to the Tour where he first made headlines by winning the 2019 Al Ain Open aged just 15.
England Q-School – final qualifying results
| Pos | Player | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Mulligan | −6 |
| T2 | Borja Martin | −5 |
| T2 | Markus Braadlie | −5 |
| T2 | Jack Hawksby | −5 |
| T5 | Shergo Al Kurdi | −3 |
| T5 | Rio Saigal | −3 |
| T5 | Faisal Salhab | −3 |
| T5 | Harry Butler (a) | −3 |
| T9 | Marcel Fonseca | −2 |
| T9 | Damien Perrier | −2 |
| T9 | Enrico Di Nitto | −2 |
| T9 | Freddie Parlby | −2 |
| T13 | Tom Osborne | −1 |
| T13 | Sam Epstein (a) | −1 |
| T15 | Guillaume Chevalier | Level |
| T15 | Josef Hacker | Level |
| T15 | Josh Hill | Level |
| T15 | Marc Boucher | Level |
(a) denotes amateur. All players listed earned full MENA Golf Tour cards.
