Stuart Grehan will head into the final round of the Wright-Morgan Championship just four shots off the lead as he goes in search of his second win on the PGA EuroPro Tour in his last three starts.
The Tullamore man signed for six birdies and one bogey in a five-under 66 at Clevedon Golf Club to move up to nine-under-par, which has him in a share of fourth place going into round three.
Grehan has experience of closing it out in his final round after winning the Spey Valley Championship in a play-off two weeks ago and he will be keen to back that up with another title that would be another significant boost to his Order of Merit hopes.
But if he is to pick up another trophy for the cabinet, he will need to produce something special to overhaul leader Josh Hilleard, the Bath man opening up a two-shot lead with 18 holes to play.
Five birdies and one bogey led to a four-under 67 for the Englishman to take him up to 13-under-par and his lead is a couple over Sandiway’s Rhys Nevin and Whittington Heath’s Ryan Brooks.
Brooks was the best player of the day as an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey led to an eight-under 63 at Clevedon, while Nevin shot a 68 to sit 11-under, with Grehan joined two shots further back by Longridge’s Mark Young after a 66 of his own.
PGA Catalunya’s Luke Donnelly also made it in for the final round after a one-under 70 took him up to four-under-par, while Whitehead’s John-Ross Galbraith will enter the third day at three-under-par after a level-par 71.
The cut line fell at two-under-par, which meant it was an agonising day for Dundalk’s Daniel Mulligan as two late double-bogeys cost him a place in round three.
Mulligan had been two shots inside the cut line after four birdies and two bogeys in his first 15 holes, but back-to-back doubles at the 16th and 17th led to a two-over 73 and at one-under-par he was one shot too many.
It will also be a rare final round off for Dermot McElroy, the Ballymena man only able to manage a second consecutive level-par 71 to finish the tournament two shots over the cut line at level-par.
Daniel Brennan will also play no part in the third round after a five-over 76 dropped him to seven-over-par, while Galway’s Ronan Mullarney retired after 15 holes of his second round while sitting three-over.
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