Damian Mooney entered his third event of the European Tour Qualifying School and once again experienced a weather delay after play on the Tour Course was suspended on Saturday mourning at the PGA Catalunya Golf Resort due to frost. As a result Damian Mooney did not get started on the opening day of Final Qualifying.
At Dundonald Links in September gale force winds affected play in the first two days of the Stage 1 with played delayed as result and last week at Stage 2 play at Costa Ballena Golf Resort Money also suffered delays when heavy rain force suspension of play. So far it has been a good omen as Mooney finished 2nd in Scotland and 3rd in Jerez last week.
The frost on Saturday morning on the Tour Course saw play start at midday but then suspended at 13.37hrs due to frozen greens, with the first group having completed only three holes. The news was better on the Stadium Course were play continued with three Irish players, Simon Thornton, Colm Moriarty and Niall Kearney, in action.
The weather delay now means Qualifying School – Final Stage has been extended to seven days.
Australian Rick Kulacz made light of the heavy frost to finish on three under par – the same mark as Simon Thornton of Ireland, who completed 12 holes.
Kulacz squeezed into the top 30 last year courtesy of a stunning closing round of 64 on the Stadium course, and whilst he was unable to reproduce those heroics, the 25 year old was nonetheless pleased with his opening effort.
Kulacz, who has returned to the Final Stage after finishing in 134th place in The 2010 Race to Dubai, said:
“I got off to a great start and hit it really well for the first eight holes, but then I started to get cold on the back nine and struggled a bit from tee to green. I was just trying to saving par, and getting up and down without too much damage done.
"I’m not used to these conditions, especially as it’s really hot in Australia at the moment. So it’s the complete opposite here. I played here last year and in some cold places in Europe this year, so I’m slowly getting used to it.
“I shot eight under on the final day last year to make it through, which came out of nowhere really as I hadn’t really played well all week, but just got it going on the last day and sneaked in there. It was a pretty tough year though. I didn’t really play well all season, and here I am again. I had a few good starts until April, but I didn’t play well for four rounds in a row, which hurt me in the end.
"If I’d played better in a couple of those rounds I could’ve been up the money list earlier, which would’ve taken the pressure off. But as soon as we hit Europe in May, I did struggle. I was flying back and forth from Australia, which probably wasn’t ideal, but I do like being at home. Maybe I’d change a few things, but it’s all a learning experience.
“That last round last year gave me some confidence that I can play well here. I like the courses here. The greens are a lot better on the other course now too, so I’m sure there will be some low scores. It’s such a long week, so it doesn’t matter too much about the first day – you just have to hang in there.
"It’s a really good start though, because I did battle out there. I got up and down and few times, so a 69 is a good score.”
Thornton notched three successive birdies from the sixth hole to join Kulacz on three under par, and the Irishman will return at 12pm on Sunday to complete his remaining holes.
In contrast, the English duo of Daniel Denison and Simon Wakefield, Spaniard Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Denmark’s Daniel Lokke have the day off, and can relax and put their feet up after completing rounds of 70 to sit in a share of third place on two under par.
In fast-fading light Denison, who suffered a career-threatening injuries in a car crash in 2007, finished with a three-putt bogey, but was keen to accentuate the positives.
He said: “It was a good day. Obviously it was frustrating to finish with a bogey, but conditions were quite tough towards the end, because it was getting colder and the light was starting to fade. So overall I have to be pleased with a 70, especially as it’s probably the harder of the two courses.
“It’ll feel quite strange to have a day off tomorrow, but I’m sure I’ll pass the time by watching the football on TV, or some DVDs. I’m sharing a villa with Simon Wakefield and Charlie Ford and they both played well today, so it should be a happy house tonight!”
Wakefield kept the bogeys off his card in a round of 70 which included birdies at the fifth and 12th holes.
He said: “It was an enjoyable day once we got out there. Obviously the delays weren’t ideal, but that’s part and parcel of golf. Both courses are a good test of golf but the Stadium is probably the harder of the two, so to shoot 70 and not make any bogeys was pretty pleasing.
“I had to pull out of Q School last year because I went down with pleurisy and swine flu, which knocked me back a bit so I had to play on the Challenge Tour this season. I should’ve taken more time off to recover fully and get my fitness back, but that’s easier said than done.
“So I struggled a bit at the start of the season, and the standard on the Challenge Tour is almost as good as The European Tour these days. I didn’t really do myself justice, but everything happens for a reason and it’s made me more determined to get back onto the main Tour. So that’s why I’m here.
“I’ve been over in the States with my coach, and it went well. I played well at the Second Stage last week and was delighted to come through that, so I feel good about my game at the moment. I hit some great shots out there today, and it bodes well for the rest of the week.”
Lokke and Garcia-Heredia mixed five birdies with three bogeys in their respective rounds of 70, whilst two-time European Tour champion and 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup winner Marc Warren signed for a respectable round of 72.
Warren said: “It was a really solid start. I hit a lot of really good iron shots, and holed a lot of good putts. I also burned the edges of the holes a lot today, but that’s just the way it goes some time. So I’m really pleased with the start I’ve made.
“There was obviously some disruption this morning, and I’d pretty much finished my routine when they announced the delay, so just had to kill time. I felt a wee bit out of my rhythm at the start, but once we settled in I hit it better. It’s a bit strange to have the day off tomorrow, but I’ll just hit a few balls on the range and continue the changes I’ve been working on lately.”
Niall Kearney was one over par through twelve holes with a colourful card - four bogeys and four pars, to which the Dubliner added an eagle on the par four 12th and a birdie on the 15th.
Colm Moriarty played nine holes in 2 over par before light stopped play.
