Guiney produces storming finish to earn his place in second stage

John-Daniel Guiney produced an exceptional finish to four days of gruelling golf at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire to move into the second stage of qualification for a European Tour card.

The Ballybunion man appeared to be in a hopeless position after rounds of 73 and 72 earlier in the week at the start of the first stage, but he roared into top gear to return 67 on Thursday and 69 on Friday for an aggregate of 281 – seven under par.

That put him in joint sixth place only five strokes behind joint winners Welshman Liam Bond and England's Laurie Canter and Jack Senior.

In the end he was five strokes inside the cut-off point and can now look forward to heading to Spain next month for the second stage.

For the second successive day Guiney carded a stunning eagle three on the second hole and also had birdies on four,11 and 12 with his only hiccups coming on three and 15, which he bogeyed.

It was a very different story for the Irish in France as Muskerry's Niall Turner faded when it mattered most and slumped to a 77 to finish two-over par. That left him two strokes outside the cut and 14 behind winner Wes Homan jnr of the United States.

Double bogeys at two and six caused Turner major problems and he also dropped strokes at 11 and 16, picking up just one birdie at the ninth.

Limerick's Tim Rice was well down the field in joint-56th place after a 76 gave him a total of six-over-par 290.