Sam Murphy held the lead after 18 holes, Thomas Higgins held it after 36, but both men will need to put in strong final-round performances after slipping outside the qualification mark at the DP World Tour First Qualifying Stage at The Players Club in Bristol.
Higgins, who is set to turn pro after the Walker Cup for which he’s first reserve, began the day at -5 after rounds of 68 and 67, and carded two birdies in his first three holes to get to seven-under.
That was as good as it got, however, as he doubled the next and added three bogeys before a second double bogey on 15 left him back at level-par.
Murphy was inside the top five at -2 and recovered from an opening-hole bogey to make the turn at -1 thanks to birdies on three and four. But a double bogey on the par-4 11th and a bogey on the par-5 15th saw him end the day alongside Higgins in a share of 22nd place with the top 19 and ties advancing to Second Stage.
Currently, -1 is good for a tie for 14th, so it won’t take much to see them climb back inside the mark.
It wasn’t all bad news for the Irish today, however, as Hugh Foley shot a two-under 68 to climb to within three shots off the qualification mark.
The Royal Dublin man opened with back-to-back 72s to leave him on +4. He clawed his way back to level-par thanks to four birdies and no bogeys over his first 16 holes but closed out with a pair of bogeys to drop back to +2 and tied for 33rd.
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