The Challenge Tour’s Open de Portugal suffered a four-hour delay on Friday as players awoke to a fog-bound Royal Óbidos. As a result of the delay, limited daylight hours were available for the pack with 15 still to finish off their first round. This meant that as play began on Saturday, much of the field had the housework of finishing off their second rounds before returning in the afternoon for round three to begin in earnest.
One man who unfortunately wouldn’t return to action was Jonathan Caldwell. A disappointing overnight withdrawal for the Bangor man who, at one off the cut line, was best placed of the Irish to make it into the afternoon’s action.
At the close of play, four Irish, including Caldwell were still on course, with Murphy and Mullarney having completed their second day’s cards. Conor O‘Rourke was through 10 while both Dermot McElroy and Cormac Sharvin had six completed for their second round.
O’Rourke began his morning with par on the par-five 11th before back-to-back bogeys on the subsequent holes. The K Club man did well to recover both dropped shots with two birdies on the bounce from the par-three 15th. He parred his final two to bow out of this week on five-over.
McElroy resumed play on the par-five seventh and began with a bang, birdieing his opener. He parred his was around the turn before handing two back with a double on the par-5 11th. He rallied though, to recover one on the following hole with birdie. He finished his involvement with a run of six pars on his way home. A four-over finish to the week for McElroy, four off the cut.
Sharvin, meanwhile, got underway from the 16th with a par to start before two birdies on the trot on his next two holes. He would hand just one back with bogey on the second on a back nine where he carded eight pars. A one-over second round saw him finish tied with McElroy on plus four, and with no afternoon play on Saturday.
With Murphy and Mullarney complete and Caldwell’s withdrawal, all six of the Irish contingent were in the showers early as those who made the cut, reset for another busy afternoon. As the dust settled after 36-holes France’s Benjamin Herbert led by two on -10 from Ryan Lumsden. While a group of three lurked on -7 including Matt Oshrine after his six-under, 65 charge on round two.
The remaining players returned to the fray in the early afternoon and there were charges at the top all evening in a tightly congested top page of the leaderboard. Herbert suffered a disastrous start with an opening pair of doubles to start. Oshrine continued his fine form as he and a charging Mazzoli traded blows all evening at the top of the leaderboard.
An impressive round too from Félix Mory who, like Mazzoli was bogey free with five birdies and was one of the field able to get his third round in the bank. He will be able to relax on Sunday morning as the rest finish off their third. South Africa’s Robin Williams, David Boote and Ryan Lumsden all sit within striking distance of the leading pair when time was called on day three as the dusk drew in on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.
Clubhouse header Mory was on hand to discuss his completed third round. “Yeah I played well,” said the Frenchman. “I don’t think I missed a shot today. Five under for this course, I think its that I just played well the whole round. Yeah, just stick to the game plan and I executed it well. I’m happy with this round, for sure”
Oshrine and Mazzoli lead the line on -11, both with a handful of holes left to complete on Sunday morning. They have two in hand over a group of five on nine-under with most having to return in the morning to tidy up round three before one final assault on Sunday afternoon.
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