A two-under round of 69 sees Ronan Mullarney head into the final day of the Croara Alps Open five strokes off the lead in a tie for 12th place while Michael Young fired a round of 66 to move into a tie for 23rd.
Starting the day just two strokes back in a tie for fourth, Mullarney put together a steady round that saw him reach the par-5 sixth – his 15th – at three-under for the round and remained bogey-free for the tournament. With another par-5 to come at the last, back-to-back 66s were within his sights, but he’d bogey the sixth and cover the remaining three in level-par to record a round of two under that would leave him on -7 for the tournament and tied for 12th.
Young is just two behind the Galway man thanks to his five-under second round. Also starting on the back nine, an early bogey and the rest pars saw him reach the 17th at one-over for the day, but an eagle-three turned his fortunes around and he’d turn at -1 for the day and the week. A birdie on the sixth got him to -2, and he’d finish with a run of three birdies in a row to move into position for an assault on the top-10 in just his second Alps Tour start of the year.
Paul Murphy joins them for the final round after the Rosslare man followed his opening 70 by going one better with a 69 to lie T34 on -3, while Paul McBride was unfortunate to miss the cut by the minimum on level-par while James Sugrue also misses out.
Swiss Luca Galliano and first round leader Ludovico Addabbo are tied in second place at -11, one stroke shy of Luca Cianchetti who stormed through the field with a 10-under 61 to lead going into the final round.
The homegrown player carded 11 birdies and one bogey during his round, and the trio will lock horns in the final group for Saturday’s final round.
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