Round up: Hoey, Power, Selfridge and Smyth best of the Irish
Jaco Van Zyl. Picture: Getty Images
European Tour — Michael Hoey missed just two fairways but he had little luck on the greens and a one under 70 left him 12 shots off the pace in the Alstom Open de France in Paris.
The world No 290 made two birdies at the oar-five ninth and 14th holes but bogeyed the last to end the day at two over while Damien McGrane was another four shots back after a 76.
Neither Hoey nor McGrane has any chance of challenging for one of the Open Championship spots available for three players, who are not already exempt and who finish in the top ten.
Those spots currently belog to South Africa’s Jaco Van Zyl, who shot a superb 64 to lead on 10 under, Germany’s Max Kieffer (65), who is second and England’s James Morrison (68), who is tied fourth.
Van Zyl, 36, reached ten under par for the tournament at Le Golf National in Paris, birdieing the last from a few inches for good measure.
Behind him is another player chasing his first win, Germany’s Kieffer, whose 65 propelled him into contention four weeks after he finished third at the Nordea Masters, while Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger is another shot back at seven under thanks to a five under par 66.
Ryder Cup team-mates Victor Dubuisson, who has attracted strong support from the home crowds all week, and Martin Kaymer both carded 69 to share fourth place alongside James Morrison, setting up a mouth-watering final round.
On a curious note, Italian teenager Renato Paratore made history by carding 18 fours – a European Tour first.
Renato Paratore's scorecard today: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4. #AlstomODF pic.twitter.com/paY0l0SMBh
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 3, 2015
203 J Van Zyl (RSA) 68 71 64; 205 M Kieffer (Ger) 70 70 65; 206 B Wiesberger (Aut) 68 72 66; 207 J Morrison (Eng) 71 68 68, V Dubuisson (Fra) 68 70 69, M Kaymer (Ger) 69 69 69; 208 T Hatton (Eng) 71 68 69, B Steele (USA) 72 69 67; 209 M Foster (Eng) 70 71 68, F Molinari (Ita) 70 69 70, T Jaidee (Tha) 70 74 65, D Brooks (Eng) 73 66 70, K Broberg (Swe) 72 69 68.
215 M Hoey (Nir) 72 73 70; 219 D McGrane (Irl) 73 70 76
Web.com Tour — Seamus Power soared 34 places to tied 28th after a four under 67 but still found himself five shots being a record haul of six, 54-hole co-leaders at the Nova Scotia Open in Canada.
As Power got to five under, Bronson Burgoon (63), Abraham Ancer (64), Harold Varner III (67), Jamie Lovemark (70), Andrew Landry (72) and D.H. Lee (71) created a Web.com Tour-record.
The previous mark of five players sharing the 54-hole lead came at the 1994 New Mexico Charity Classic.
Dean Burmester. Picture: Getty Images
Challenge Tour — Chris Selfridge shot a one over 72 to slip to 51st as Dean Burmester’s lead at the AEGEAN Airlines Challenge Tour by Hartl Resort was cut to one on moving day over the Beckenbauer Course in Bavaria.
As Selfridge fell back to level par in the sweltering German heat, Burmester posted third round 70, which moved him to 13 under and left him with his work cut out to claim a maiden European Challenge Tour title.
One of those breathing down his neck is in-form Frenchman Sebastien Gros, who equalled the eight under par course record of 63 despite suffering two bogeys in the opening four holes and moved to within one of the summit on 12 under.
The Lyon player currently sits second in the Road to Oman Rankings having won the Najeti Open Presented by Neuflize OBC three weeks ago and victory here would virtually secure his graduation to The European Tour for the 2016 season.
200 D Burmester (RSA) 67 63 70; 201 S Gros (Fra) 70 68 63, H Joannes (Bel) 67 67 67; 202 R Gouveia (Por) 63 70 69… 213 C Selfridge (Nir) 71 70 72.
Gordon Manson. Picture: Getty Images
European Senior Tour — Gordon Manson grabbed the lead on day two of the Swiss Seniors Open after a second successive bogey-free round at Golf Club Bad Ragaz.
The Austrian is yet to win on the European Senior Tour, but is in prime position to break his drought after a round of 64 moved him to the head of affairs on ten under par, two shots clear of Scotland’s Ross Drummond and the English duo of Phil Golding and overnight leader Carl Mason.
130 G Manson (Aut) 66 64; 132 P Golding (Eng) 67 65, R Drummond (Sco) 65 67, C Mason (Eng) 63 69; 133 P Mitchell (Eng) 67 66, C Williams (RSA) 66 67; 134 P Fowler (Aus) 66 68, S Brown (Eng) 68 66; 135 K Tarling (Can) 66 69, L Zhang (Chn) 69 66, M Mouland (Wal) 67 68, P Wesselingh (Eng) 67 68, J Smith (USA) 67 68, M Davis (Eng) 70 65, F Lamare (Fra) 66 69, P Linhart (Esp) 69 66….
138 D Smyth (Irl) 70 68; 140 D O’Sullivan (Irl) 72 68, 142 P Walton (Irl) 69 73.
PGA Tour — Jason Bohn barely made the cut, then shot a 61 to grab the outright lead in The Greenbrier Classic at 11 under par.
He finished when the leaders were still two hours away from teeing off but his score held up though he was joined at the top by Bryce Molder (67), Sean O'Hair (66) and SJ Park (66).
They lead by one from Justin Thomas (66), David Hearn (68), Danny Lee (68) and Chad Collins (68).
Tiger Woods is seven behind after a 71.
