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Niclas Johansson of Sweden won the European Tour Qualifying School First Stage Section B at Ebreichsdorf in Austria with a 13 under par total. Johansson carded rounds of 69, 68, 68 and 70 to finish two ahead of Canadian Andrew Parr, while 15 players in total qualified for the next stage.
At the second venue in Barbaroux another Swede, Jens Dantorp, won the Qualifying School First Stage Section B at Golf de Barbaroux in France with a seven under par total.
Dantorp had rounds of 73, 71, 70 and 67 to win the stage by three shots from Frenchman Victor Dubuisson and Trent Leon of the United States.
The early leaders, American Michael Schachner and Thomas Fournier of France, fell back to finish on three under within the overall 15 players – with aggregate of less than 292 - to qualify for the next round.
Richard Kilpatrick of Banbridge, who was in 21st place at the start of the final day, carded a 72 – also benefiting from a two shot swing in the winning score - to finish in a tie for 16th place with an aggregate 295.
Michael Mulryan Athenry Golf Club was the only the other Irish player to make the cut in France finished with a 75 on +11 and aggregate 299.
The Second Stage takes place over four courses in Spain – Costa Ballena Ocean Club, Arcos Gardens, Hacienda del Alamo and El Valle Golf Resort – from November 26 – 29 before the Final Stage at PGA Golf Catalunya Resort in December, where 30 players plus ties will win a European Tour card for 2011.
Only two Irish players – Michael McGeady and Niall Turner from Section A - have made it so far to the next stage from a total of 13 competitors.
Next week at Q School Section C there will be 18 Irish players taking to the field at Dundonald Links and another five in Fleesensee in Germany.
