Gavin Moynihan moved into position to win his European Tour card but the rest of the Irish still have work to do to make the 72-hole cut at the Final Stage of the Qualifying School in Spain.
The 24-year-old Dubliner made six birdies in a five-under-par 67 in yesterday’s third round on the Hills Course at Lumine in Tarragona and moved up 19 places to tied 13th at halfway, just a shot outside the top 10 in the 108-hole marathon.
“It could have been a bit better but it was a good day,” said Moynihan, who is just six shots behind England’s Laurie Canter who also shot 67 on the Hills course to lead by a shot from compatriots Sam Horsfield and Ben Evans on 13-under-par.
“I’m happy enough and now I have three rounds on the Lakes Course to try and make the top 10. It was a good day and I played nicely.”
After finishing 19th on the Challenge Tour this year, Moynihan would only improve his status marginally by finishing between 11th and 25th this week but a top 10 finish would put him in a higher category and give him more than 20 starts.
While he struggled early in his round and was one over after five holes, he holed a bunker shot for a birdie at the sixth and sparked into life, picking up another five shots before the finish.
“That really kick-started the round and I played lovely on the back nine and could have been a bit better,” said Moynihan, who birdied the seventh to turn in 35 before racing home in 32.
Ardglass’ Cormac Sharvin fired a four-under par 67 on the Lakes Course to move up to tied 86th on one-over alongside Derry’s Ruaidhri McGee, who shot a 70 at the same track.
Both will likely need sub-70 rounds today to make the top 70 and ties who will contest the final two rounds but Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy knows he needs “a low one” after a 69 left him 121st on four-over after a two-under 69 on the Lakes.
European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, Lumine Golf Club (Lakes Course, Par 71; Hills Course, Par 72) Tarragona
After three rounds
202 L Canter (Eng) 71 64 67;
203 S Horsfield (Eng) 69 68 66; B Evans (Eng) 69 66 68;
204 A Pavan (Ita) 65 68 71;
206 J Winther (Den) 67 67 72;
207 M Schwab (Aut) 71 69 67; K Johannessen (Nor) 71 69 67; C Braeunig (Ger) 70 70 67; Ó Serna (Mex) 68 72 67; J Thomson (Eng) 67 72 68; M Foster (Eng) 67 72 68; S Manley (Wal) 69 68 70;
208 C Syme (Sco) 72 73 63; C Ford (Eng) 73 69 66; C Blomstrand (Swe) 72 69 67; K Broberg (Swe) 70 71 67; G Moynihan (Irl) 69 72 67; J Heath (Eng) 72 68 68; M Baldwin (Eng) 71 69 68; G Stal (Fra) 64 71 73; T Murray (Eng) 70 63 75;
209 P Widegren (Swe) 69 72 68; J Munro (Aus) 69 71 69; S Heisele (Ger) 72 67 70; H Sturehed (Swe) 67 71 71; R Macintyre (Sco) 67 71 71;
210 J Janewattananond (Tha) 74 71 65; A Michael (RSA) 73 71 66; O Lindell (Fin) 73 71 66; E Park (Kor) 72 72 66; L Gagli (Ita) 71 73 66; S Tiley (Eng) 72 70 68; M Millar (Aus) 74 67 69; J Quesne (Fra) 69 72 69; A Knappe (Ger) 69 72 69; N Geyger (Chi) 67 74 69; C Lloyd (Eng) 68 71 71; C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 69 69 72;
211 M Iten (Sui) 74 70 67; F Aguilar (Chi) 73 70 68; R McGowan (Eng) 72 71 68; K Samooja (Fin) 73 69 69; G Fernandez - Castaño (Esp) 72 70 69; A Hansen (Den) 71 71 69; J Huldahl (Den) 67 75 69; M Nixon (Eng) 70 71 70; D Law (Sco) 68 73 70; N Kimsey (Eng) 68 73 70; A Arnaus (Esp) 70 70 71;
212 J Walters (RSA) 75 71 66; T Lewis (Eng) 75 69 68; D Papadatos (Aus) 71 73 68; P Angles (Esp) 73 70 69; M Fenasse (Fra) 73 70 69; A Hall (Aus) 73 69 70; J Kruyswijk (RSA) 71 71 70; J Edfors (Swe) 70 72 70; Å Nilsson (Swe) 71 69 72; P Pittayarat (Tha) 70 70 72; K Koivu (am) (Fin) 70 70 72;
213 R Kellett (Sco) 77 67 69; E Ferguson (Sco) 74 70 69; S Vincent (Zim) 72 72 69; R Gonzalez (Arg) 71 73 69; M Giles (Aus) 76 66 71; M Schneider (Ger) 68 74 71; E Johansen (Nor) 68 73 72; P Howard (Eng) 73 66 74; S Gros (Fra) 70 69 74; P Mejow (Ger) 69 70 74; J Vecchi Fossa (Ita) 67 71 75;
214 C Nilsson (Swe) 77 70 67; R Petersson (Swe) 73 73 68; H Leon (Chi) 73 72 69; M Lundberg (Swe) 74 70 70; J Rutherford (Eng) 72 72 70; M Lafeber (Ned) 68 73 73; O Wilson (Eng) 67 74 73; J Arnoy (Nor) 70 68 76;
215 C Sharvin (Nir) 74 74 67; O Gillberg (am) (Swe) 73 75 67; S Henry (Sco) 78 69 68; R Green (Aus) 74 72 69; P Maddy (Eng) 77 68 70; D Huizing (Ned) 73 72 70; J Hansen (Den) 72 73 70; R McGee (Irl) 72 73 70; E De La Riva (Esp) 73 71 71; M Orrin (Eng) 72 72 71; J Geary (Nzl) 72 71 72; L Nemecz (Aut) 70 73 72; J Dean (Eng) 69 74 72; A Blyth (Aus) 71 71 73;
216 A Garcia-Heredia (Esp) 76 72 68; S Sharma (Ind) 75 73 68; E Di Nitto (Ita) 76 70 70; A Cañizares (Esp) 73 73 70; J Parry (Eng) 70 76 70; T Cocha (Arg) 74 71 71; G Forrest (Sco) 73 72 71; M Lampert (Ger) 73 72 71; M Jonzon (Swe) 72 73 71; J Carlsson (Swe) 76 68 72; T Tree (Eng) 72 72 72; S Khan (Eng) 72 71 73; S Webster (Eng) 69 74 73; M Armitage (Eng) 71 71 74; N Fasth (Swe) 72 69 75; J Veerman (USA) 71 70 75;
217 F Fritsch (Ger) 75 74 68; S Gregory (Eng) 73 74 70; R Sciot-Siegrist (Fra) 72 75 70; R Kakko (Fin) 69 78 70; A Haig (RSA) 74 71 72; N Cullen (Aus) 73 72 72; B Easton (RSA) 69 73 75; H Otto (RSA) 70 71 76;
218 D McElroy (Nir) 74 75 69; J Fernandez-Valdes (Arg) 78 70 70; M Ford (Eng) 74 72 72; R Dinwiddie (Eng) 73 73 72; S Dyson (Eng) 77 68 73; D Foos (Ger) 72 73 73; D Brown (Eng) 71 74 73; C Doak (Sco) 73 71 74; J Lima (Por) 74 69 75; J Brun (Fra) 72 71 75; J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 69 74 75;
219 D Stewart (Sco) 78 72 69; B Hafthorsson (Isl) 73 72 74; J Sjöholm (Swe) 71 73 75;
220 M Madsen (Den) 77 73 70; A Rosaye (Fra) 72 77 71; S Soderberg (Swe) 71 75 74; J Stalter (Fra) 70 76 74;
221 M Trappel (Aut) 73 76 72; R McEvoy (Eng) 70 78 73; R Echenique (Arg) 76 71 74; M Salminen (Fin) 71 72 78;
222 J Erkenbeck (USA) 73 73 76; F Dreier (Den) 72 74 76;
223 B Ritthammer (Ger) 82 71 70; L Vaisanen (Fin) 77 74 72; R Enoch (Wal) 74 77 72; S Hutsby (Eng) 74 74 75;
224 C Del Moral (Esp) 78 76 70; A Meronk (Pol) 79 72 73; M Kim (Kor) 76 74 74; A Rozner (Fra) 69 81 74; T Sinnott (Aus) 74 73 77;
225 G Porteous (Eng) 78 74 73;
226 J Jeong (Kor) 76 77 73.
