The European Tour Qualifying School Second Stage has concluded with Wilco Nienaber among the 80 players progressing to the six-round Final Stage at Lumine Golf Club from November 15-20.
Canadian Jimmy Jones topped the qualifiers at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, finishing one shot clear of 19-year-old South African Nienaber on eight under par.
The pair will be joined at Final Stage by 18 further qualifiers, including Scot Craig Howie, who finished in third place at five under par, one shot clear of Swede Fredrik Nilehn, who peaked at ninth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking before turning professional, and German Hurly Long.
Other players to progress include Madalitso Muthiya, who will be bidding to become the first Zambian to secure European Tour playing privileges at Lumine Golf Club later this week and five-time European Tour winner Michael Hoey.
JC Ritchie was among the 20 to advance out of Desert Springs Golf Club where Blake Windred stormed clear of the field at despite a final round of four over 76 to finish five shots clear of his closest challenger Frenchman Sébastien Gros.
A final round 75 saw fellow Saffa Jaco Ahlers miss out at Club Golf De Bonmont where Aron Zimmer led the qualifiers who endured two days of poor weather. Play was extended by two additional days due to adverse weather conditions. The Italian carded four sub-par rounds in testing conditions to finish two shots clear of 18-year-old Korean Minkyu Kim, who made history last year when he became the youngest player in history to win a European Tour-sanctioned event.
Garrick Higgo, Garth Mulroy and Jake Roos made Alenda Golf by far the happiest hunting ground as they joined Nienaber and Ritchie in the final stage.
Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images
