Reeve Whitson, Gary Hurley and Jack Hume made the cut but there was disappointment for the other eight Irish in action after a challenging day in the St Andrews Links Trophy.

Playing the Old Course on a wet and windy Saturday, Robbie Cannon paid a high price for a couple of marginal misses coming home — he two shots to escape from under the face of the infamous Road Hole bunker — and carded a 73 to miss the level par cut by one. 

It's not often a player is in the top 10 after a 79 but overnight leader Gregoire Schoeb of France added 19 shots to his course record 60 on the New on Friday to finish the day tied 10th on four over.

Two bogeys in the last four saw Ardglass' Cormac Sharvin card 73 to miss by two alongside Richie O'Donovan (75). 

East of Ireland runner-up Paul Dunne (74) was three shots outside the mark with Eugene Smith bitterly disappointed to shoot 79 and miss by four.

The biggest surprises were Gavin Moynihan, who shot 77 to miss by five less than a week after winning the Scottish Amateur Open, Rory McNamara (77, 10 over) and Ballymena's Dermot McElroy, who finished last on 16 over (78-81).

At the other end of the leaderboard, Scots occupy five of the Top-10 spots with Grant Forrest's 68 leaving him two clear of Tae Koh on New Zealand on nine under.

Whitson had a 69 but could have been so much lower had it not been for bogeys at the last two holes as he ended his day tied for 19th alongside Hume (74), seven shots off the pace.

Hurley — who will join Moynihan, Cannon and McElroy in the Irish Open at Fota Island in less than two weeks  — had a double bogey six at the 12th in a 73 to lie tied 26th on one-under.

Final round tee-times