Joint leader Wraith Grant drives at Pestana Golf Resort’s Vale da Pinta course. Picture courtesy Phil Inglis PhotographyPeter O’Hagan must produce some final round fireworks if he is to earn his European Senior Tour card at the Qualifying School Finals in Portugal.

The Newry man’s third round 73 relegated him to tied 23rd at Pestana Golf Resort’s Vale da Pinta course and left him three shots outside the qualifying places. Scoring

With only the top six winning full cards with the next eight earning conditional status for the 2013 season, O’Hagan is likely to need a round of 68 to have any chance of securing even a modest number of starts this term.

He did well to shoot a two over 73 yesterday as he stood four over par for his round with eight holes to play before birdies at the 14th and 15th gave him a glimmer of hope for the final round.

Scotland’s David James shot a superb 66 to join the English duo of Simon Brown and Wraith Grant in the lead on seven under par with O’Hagan back on three over.

They are three shots ahead of Spain’s Jose Manuel Carriles and American Royce Thompson.

The 54-hole cut fell at at eight over par with 60 players surviving.

But they did not include Northern Ireland’s Jimmy Heggarty, who missed out by just one shot despite carding a level par 71.

Scores after round  3:

206 W Grant (Eng) 70 68 68, D James (Sco) 73 67 66, S Brown (Eng) 67 71 68,

209 R Thompson (USA) 69 69 71, J Carriles (Esp) 70 71 68,

211 J Laforce (Can) 72 71 68, G Bell (Eng) 69 66 76, M Moreno (Esp) 74 69 68, J Ross (USA) 72 72 67,

212 H Buhrmann (RSA) 71 72 69, R Sabarros (Fra) 71 72 69, S Bennett (Eng) 72 71 69,

213 P Dahlberg (Swe) 69 69 75, D Westermark (Swe) 71 72 70, S Cipa (Eng) 70 72 71, T Elliott (Aus) 72 71 70,

214 P Jonas (Can) 73 70 71, R Masters (Eng) 69 71 74, J Anderson (USA) 70 72 72, J Mathews (Eng) 70 69 75,

215 R Arnott (Sco) 76 71 68, J Lindberg (am) (Swe) 73 71 71,

216 K Smith (Can) 70 73 73, Z Martinez (USA) 75 71 70, P Smith (Sco) 71 72 73, D Wettlaufer (Can) 73 73 70, N Mitchell (Eng) 70 74 72, Peter O’Hagan (Irl) 74 69 73, J Murphy (Eng) 72 72 72,

217 E Rodriguez (Esp) 72 71 74, M Bright (RSA) 74 70 73, C Milne (USA) 71 76 70, M Wharton (Eng) 68 76 73, J Sallat (Fra) 72 71 74, A Saddington (Sco) 74 71 72, T Burgoyne (Sco) 72 74 71, J Buendia (Esp) 74 67 76, M Zilko (Aus) 74 71 72,

218 C Haynes (Eng) 71 69 78, J Martin (Aus) 69 76 73, B Smit (RSA) 72 75 71, Y Nilsson (Swe) 71 73 74,

219 R Roper (Eng) 74 72 73, E Kocs (USA) 72 78 69, A Mackenzie (Sco) 73 74 72, T Chen (Tpe) 74 74 71, D Ray (Eng) 77 75 67, M Deboub (Alg) 73 75 71, M Bianco (Ita) 76 71 72, S Ball (Eng) 75 73 71, C Grenier (Aut) 74 75 70, L Watcham (am) (Eng) 73 75 71,

220 K Tarling (Can) 73 75 72, B Lincoln (RSA) 75 70 75, J Davila (Esp) 73 73 74, T Charnley (Eng) 76 74 70, T Söderberg (am) (Swe) 75 73 72,

221 D Berry (Eng) 74 74 73, A Macdonald (Eng) 75 74 72, S Graham (am) (Eng) 72 74 75

CUT

222 M Guzman (Arg) 73 74 75, M Kierstenson (Eng) 74 74 74, Jimmy Heggarty (Nir) 75 76 71, M Belsham (Eng) 75 76 71,

224 B Stevens (Eng) 75 76 73, E Foster  (Eng) 77 70 77,

225 R Briars  (Eng) 77 75 73,

227 L Martins (Bra) 76 80 71,

228 J Saxton (USA) 72 79 77,

229 B Wearne (Aus) 78 74 77, S East (am) (Eng) 80 76 73,

236 S McNally (Eng) 76 81 79, G Green (USA) 81 77 78, M Rolfe (Eng) 78 81 77,

WD P Mayo (Wal) 73 75 WD.