Thornton one off lead in Turkey as ITC team play catch-up

In Turkey, Simon Thornton (Tulfarris Resort) is the leading home contender at the PGA Play-offs at Antalya GC.

The reigning Irish PGA Champion is tied for third on four-under-par alongside Scotland’s Alastair Forsythe following a second round 69 (-2).

English duo Matthew Cort and David Dixon lead the way on five-under-par ahead of tomorrow’s final round while David Higgins (Waterville Links) is tied for 10th on level par with Michael McGeady (Evolve Golf Coaching) back in a tie for 17th on two-over-par.

The occupants of the first three places will earn automatic spots on next year’s GB&I PGA Cup team. Starts in two European Tour events are also up for grabs: the top two will also qualify for the 2019 British Masters and the first four the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next September.

Meanwhile at the International Team Championship, Ireland retained faint hopes of a podium finish following a level par third round at the International Team Championship in Greece.

Heading into tomorrow’s closing 18 holes at the Dunes Course, Costa Navarino, Team Ireland, featuring Damian Mooney (Damian Mooney Golf), Joe Dillon (Headfort) and Colm Moriarty (Glasson Hotel & GC) are tied for eighth, nine shots behind leaders Germany.

The prestigious 30-year-old tournament is a 72-hole team stroke play event with the two best scores from a team of three to count in each round.

Mooney (72) and Moriarty (70) combined for a third round score of 142, which leaves Ireland on five over par for the tournament.

“Hopefully tomorrow we will dovetail properly and get a low score,” said captain Mooney.

“We have made a few birdies between us but we have dropped too many shots.”

Germany’s three under par 139 moved them to the top of the leaderboard on four-under-par, one shot ahead of Holland, with Belgium lying in third on two-under-par.
2019 British Masters and the first four the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next September.