McGovern top boy at Q-School

Brendan McGovern dedicated his Senior Tour Qualifying School Final Stage victory to his late uncle after finishing top of the class with a score of 11 under par at Pestana Golf Resort in Portugal.

The 51-year-old successfully made his way through Q-School for the second consecutive year, going wire-to-wire with rounds of 66-66-73-68 to finish six strokes ahead of the chasing pack.

“It was a different Brendan McGovern out there,” said the Headfort Golf Club professional, who had County Cavan Golf Club professional, Bill Noble, on the bag.

“Last year, after finishing Q-School, nobody had told me that my uncle had passed away while I had been practising.

“He was buried a year ago today and I have to dedicate this to him. He was my 15th club. He was the one who got me into golf, and that kept me going today.

“I was very solid all week and even after my third round I was very comfortable. Today, I missed one green and hit one bogey.”

McGovern finished six strokes clear of Clark Dennis, Gary Rusnak and Peter Wilson who shared second place on five under par, securing their places on the 2017 European Senior Tour.

A play-off determined the final card as Frenchman Jean Pierre Sallat beat Jeff Hall and David Shacklady with a birdie on the first extra hole.

Lisburn Golf Club professional, Stephen Hamill also gave qualifying a crack but missed the cut.