Qualifying Schools: To illustrate professional golf is not all Volvo Masters and record prize funds of €3.5 million, hopefuls from around the globe finished off their first round at the three qualifying schools in Spain and France yesterday.

Of the eight Irish players in the mix for a place in the Qualifying School Finals in two weeks' time, and ultimately a place in next year's European Tour, it was Portmarnock's Noel Fox who was best of the Irish, with Michael Hoey and Damian Mooney also well placed after the first day on the St Cyprien course near Perpignan, France.

Fox finished three under par, five shots behind the first round leaders, Sweden's Mattias Nilsson and Scotland's GJ Gordon, who are both on eight under par. Both Hoey and Mooney completed their 18 holes just one shot behind Fox on two under par.

It leaves Walker Cup player Fox sharing 18th place overall with seven other players, while Northern Ireland's Hoey and Mooney are amongst nine players sharing 26th place. If they can hold on to those positions over the weekend, it would be good enough to secure them a place in the six-round Qualifying School Finals in Spain's Empordo Golf Club and Golf Platja de Pais on November 7th-12th.

Richie Coughlan, who was first out yesterday morning, did not get the positive start he had hoped for and ended the day well down the field sharing 62nd place with seven other players, including his Irish colleagues, Ciarán McMonagle and Stephen Browne.

All three players finished their rounds at the St Cyprien course after shooting a two-over-par 75.

David Higgins fared little better on the Perlada course in Spain with a level par 71, which leaves him in joint 53rd place.

The Waterville golfer will probably be looking to score somewhere in the mid-60s today to fight his way back into the mix. It's a score that is clearly possible as no fewer than three players shot 65 and six others 66 in yesterday's round.

Chris Devlin, the only Irish player featuring at the Torre Mirona course finished one under par in his first round. His 71 leaves him in joint 40th place, another Swedish player Fredrik Orest set the pace at the top of the table at eight under par.

Again, Devlin will be hoping for a lower score today in order to move up the table. There are 95 places available for the next round of qualifying, 29 slots from St Cyprien and 33 from both Torre Mirona and Prelada.