Hugh Foley and Sam Murphy are safely through to the final round of the Alps Tour’s Gosser Open in Austria but both are well down the field.
Foley made five birdies and two bogeys in a three-under 69 that took him to four-under for the week and saw him make the cut with a shot to spare. The Royal Dublin man has now made the cut in four successive Alps Tour starts having missed the cut in the previous three, but a best finish of T25 this year means that he needs to start picking up good finishes quickly if he’s to give himself a chance of earning promotion to the HotelPlanner Tour for next year.
Murphy, who won the season-opening Elin Bay Open in what was his tour debut and first professional start, hasn’t been able to build on it though a T12 finish at last week’s Miglianico Alps Open in Italy was a big step in the right direction.
He followed his opening 71 with a two-under 70 to make the cut on the number, and a good final round could see him improve on his 10th place ranking in the Order of Merit.
It was a disappointing day for Robert Moran who began the round as the leading Irishman at two-under but made two double bogeys and a triple along with three bogeys, a birdie and an eagle in a seven-over 79 to miss the cut.
Stephen Grant is also going home early after a second-round 74 dropped him back to one-over-par.
The locals will have a big interest in the final round as Austrian amateur Jakob Lotschak continues to lead the way but he now has sole possession of the lead after being in a three-way tie after 18 holes.
The teenager has a one-stroke lead at -11, with Italy’s Filippo Grossi in solo second at -10 and a further three players sharing third at nine-under.
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