Getting the best out of your game no matter how poorly you’re playing is the secret of golf but it’s even more apposite at the Final Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School.

Little wonder then that five-time European Tour winner Michael Hoey was moderately pleased with a three-under 67 at PGA Catalunya Resort that left him tied for 27th on five under par and just one shot outside the top 25 and ties who will win cards after six gruelling rounds.

After a year that’s seen the 37-year-old miss 20 of 27 cuts, remaining on track to win back his golden ticket to the big leagues was reason enough to be cheerful.

“You could go out and play well and not score,” sniffed an under the weather Hoey, who made six birdies and three bogeys on the shorter Tour Course in perfect conditions. “So it’s quite satisfying to play some sloppy stuff and score well.

“My routines were good and mentally I was good because I am quite relaxed. And I have to be like that the next few days because we are only a quarter of the way there.”

Hoey “stiffed” three shots during his round to set up tap in birdies before getting up and down for his sixth of the day at the par-five 18th after ripping a rescue 250 yards through the back of the green.

He knows it’s too early to be looking at the leaderboard, which shows that England’s Robert Coles and Richard McEvoy are tied for the lead on 10-under-par after rounds of 68 and 69 respectively on the long and tight, par-72 Stadium Course to lead by one from Germany’s Christian Braeunig and England’s Aaron Rai.

With the top 70 and ties making the cut after tomorrow's fourth round, West Waterford's Gary Hurley and Mount Juliet's Kevin Phelan have work to do as they are tied for 107th, three shots outside the mark on one over after contrasting fortunes on the Stadium Course.

Phelan made an early, two-putt birdie at the third but holed nothing thereafter, dropped three shots and posted a two over 74 that leaves him needing a low round soon.

Hurley played well all day, finally finding his putting touch as he made four birdies and dropped just one shot in a 69 that took the sting out of his four over 74 on the tricky but short Tour Course on Saturday.

“I figured something out last night and this morning and started hitting the ball online again, which is important for holing putts!” said a smiling, 23-year-old Hurley, who got a drill from putting coach Donal Scott and quickly spotted his error.

Starting at the 10th, he covered the back nine in 35 to turn in one under, then made a five footer after a superb nine iron to the second and kept his patience after shaving the hole with birdie putts at the third, fourth and fifth by draining a 10 footer at the sixth.

“I know I have got to stay patient, there are still two rounds to go before the cut and four rounds to go in the tournament.” added Hurley, who rose early to watch Conor McGregor win his UFC world title bout.

Rosapenna’s Ruaidhrí McGee is tied 129th 0n three over after a two over 72 on the Tour Course and knows he must go low on the Stadium track on Monday if he’s to make the 72-hole cut.

European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, PGA Catalunya Resort, Girona, Spain (Stadium Course Par 72; Tour Course, par 70)

132 R McEvoy (Eng) 63 69; R Coles (Eng) 64 68;

133 A Rai (Eng) 66 67; C Braeunig (Ger) 66 67;

134 Z Lombard (RSA) 67 67; A Chesters (Eng) 68 66; S Heisele (Ger) 68 66; E Molinari (Ita) 66 68; R McGowan (Eng) 68 66; J Suri (USA) 64 70;

135 D Van Driel (Ned) 66 69; M Orrin (Eng) 67 68; B Eccles (Aus) 67 68; E Kofstad (Nor) 67 68; B Hemstock (Eng) 67 68; S Tiley (Eng) 64 71; S Manley (Wal) 72 63; L Canter (Eng) 69 66;

136 E Dubois (Fra) 71 65; J Winther (Den) 68 68; J Fahrbring (Swe) 68 68; C Griffiths (Eng) 68 68; M Jonzon (Swe) 63 73; M Lafeber (Ned) 65 71; B Neil (Sco) 64 72; J Lara (Esp) 67 69;

137 J Allan (Eng) 67 70; N Johansson (Swe) 70 67; D Law (Sco) 66 71; R Gangjee (Ind) 68 69; J Harrison (Eng) 70 67; P Imondi (USA) 68 69; M Hoey (Nir) 70 67; D Huizing (Ned) 73 64;

138 J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 70 68; O Rozner (Fra) 66 72; O Lengden (Swe) 73 65; O Wilson (Eng) 68 70; E Van Rooyen (RSA) 71 67; R McCarthy (Aus) 74 64; M Foster (Eng) 67 71; R Echenique (Arg) 69 69; D Fox (Aus) 72 66; J Blaauw (RSA) 71 67; G Mulroy (RSA) 67 71; R Kellett (Sco) 72 66; A Connelly (USA) 71 67; E Pepperell (Eng) 69 69; B Etchart (Esp) 66 72; J Parry (Eng) 71 67; T Lewis (Eng) 73 65; T Chuayprakong (Tha) 64 74; S Webster (Eng) 64 74;

139 C Ford (Eng) 76 63; A Saddier (Fra) 73 66; S Forsström (Swe) 72 67; E Loar (USA) 72 67; R Sciot-Siegrist (Fra) 67 72; M Godoy (Arg) 65 74; M Bremner (RSA) 70 69; G Porteous (Eng) 73 66; S Khan (Eng) 72 67; B Stow (Eng) 69 70; T Van Der Walt (RSA) 71 68; E Di Nitto (Ita) 70 69; G King (Eng) 73 66; S Henry (Sco) 64 75; J Guerrier (Fra) 69 70; R Johnson (Swe) 72 67; C Sordet (Fra) 67 72;

140 M Ford (Eng) 72 68; L Gagli (Ita) 71 69; N Kimsey (Eng) 70 70; K Horne (RSA) 68 72; R Evans (Eng) 75 65; M Nixon (Eng) 67 73; M Lampert (Ger) 66 74; R Gonzalez (Arg) 67 73; T Linard (Fra) 73 67; P Eriksson (Swe) 71 69; A Karlsson (Swe) 71 69;

141 C Carstensen (Ger) 69 72; M Lundberg (Swe) 71 70; B Easton (RSA) 73 68; J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 71 70; D Burmester (RSA) 73 68; J Ahlers (RSA) 70 71; M Tullo (Chi) 72 69; B Evans (Eng) 70 71; D Dixon (Eng) 74 67; R Santos (Por) 73 68; R Dinwiddie (Eng) 72 69; J Heath (Eng) 70 71; M Delpodio (Ita) 73 68;

142 R Saxton (Ned) 73 69; O Farr (Wal) 73 69; M Laier (Ger) 74 68; L De Jager (RSA) 72 70; Y Yang (Kor) 72 70; R Van Der Spuy (RSA) 71 71; C Koepka (USA) 66 76; A Quiros (Esp) 68 74; J Hansen (Den) 67 75; P Maddy (Eng) 75 67; A Maestroni (Ita) 68 74; M Madsen (Den) 74 68;

143 R Finch (Eng) 73 70; P Kopp (Ger) 75 68; P Widegren (Swe) 72 71; G Hurley (Irl) 74 69; T Pulkkanen (Fin) 77 66; S Soderberg (Swe) 72 71; J Hugo (RSA) 72 71; O Stark (Swe) 69 74; R Davies (Wal) 77 66; V Riu (Fra) 69 74; J Girrbach (Sui) 70 73; J Lando Casanova (Fra) 69 74; M Wiegele (Aut) 69 74; U Van Den Berg (RSA) 68 75; K Phelan (Irl) 69 74;

144 G Axell (Swe) 76 68; J Dantorp (Swe) 69 75; E Goya (Arg) 77 67; B Pettersson (Swe) 76 68; P Whiteford (Sco) 76 68; J Rutherford (Eng) 72 72; P Oriol (Esp) 72 72;

145 C Bouniol (Fra) 72 73; F Marty (Fra) 71 74; G Forrest (Sco) 74 71; D Vancsik (Arg) 70 75; B Virto (Esp) 78 67; M Simonsen (Den) 75 70; R McGee (Irl) 73 72; A Velasco (Esp) 70 75; M Fenasse (Fra) 73 72;

146 C Lee (Sco) 72 74; M Crespi (Ita) 75 71; D Gavins (Eng) 71 75; S Surry (Eng) 71 75; O Henningsson (Swe) 74 72; C Del Moral (Esp) 74 72; C Bull (Eng) 72 74; R Kakko (Fin) 72 74; C Berardo (Fra) 73 73; P Martin Benavides (Esp) 75 71

147 M Perry (Nzl) 76 71; K Ferrie (Eng) 72 75;

148 M Brown (Nzl) 72 76; B Rumford (Aus) 73 75;

149 B Munson (USA) 75 74;

151 J Zunic (Aus) 80 71;

152 M Brier (Aut) 75 77;

153 M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 75 78;

DQ J Edfors (Swe) DQ