Carey leads in Egypt with O'Rourke chasing; Hoey lone survivor in Girona
David Carey
Dubliner David Carey closed with a birdie hat-trick to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Alps Tour's Ein Bay Open in Egypt.
The Castleknock talent (21) fired a four under 68 at Sokhna Golf Club to lead by a shot from Colombia's Alvaro Arizabaleta on 10-under par with Naas' Conor O'Rourke (26) just four behind in sixth after a best of the day 65.
"I did not start as well as I wished to," said Carey, who followed a bogey at the 10th with a double bogey at the 12th to be three-over after three.
"I made a sloppy bogey on my first hole. But I made four birdies in five holes around the turn and that kind of got me back on track and then I played very nicely the whole way in," Carey said.
"Tomorrow, I just need to go out and play the way I’ve been playing. I actually haven’t really held any putts. Hopefully, a few more putts go in. I will keep playing the way I’ve been playing and it should be a good day."
O'Rourke turned in one-under par but then started his back nine, the front at Sokhna, with four straight birdies before picking up two more shots at the seventh and eighth.
His eight-birdie round was his best since he turned professional last year and he knows he may need another one to have a chance of winning.
"I played nicely," O'Rourke said. "I just had to stay really patient. Because the last few days I felt I played quite well but it did not really come through.
"I expect David to play quite well tomorrow so anybody behind is going to have to make a lot of birdies and not many mistakes."
Alps Tour, Ein Bay Open, Sokhna GC (Par 72)
134 D Carey (Ire) 66 68; 135 A Arizabalet (Col) 69 66; 136 M Cea (Ita) 69 67. Other Irish - 138 C O'Rourke (Ire) 73 65; 145 M Dallat (Nir) 70 75. Cut - 151 J Brink (Ire) 76 75; 161 K Le Blanc (Ire) 83 78.
The 13th on the Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya
Hoey the lone Irish survivor in Girona
Michael Hoey carded a level par 70 on the Tour Course to share ninth spot at halfway in the ECCO Tour's Mediter Real Estate Masters at PGA Catalunya in Spain, just three strokes off the lead, but Jack Hume, Cormac Sharvin and Chris Selfridge missed the cut.
All four played the Tour Course but Hume shot a two-over 72 and Sharvin a 70 to miss out by two shots on three-over with Selfridge's 71 leaving him six shots outside the mark on seven-over.
ECCO Tour, Mediter Real Estate Masters, PGA Catalunya Resort (Stadium Par 72, Tour Par 70)
134 J Hansen (Den) 70 64, N Kirstensen (Den) 70 64, K Johnannessen (Nor) 69 65. Irish - 137 M Hoey (NIr) 67 70. Cut - 145 J Hume (Ire) 73 72, C Sharvin (NIr) 75 70; 149 C Selfridge (NIr) 78 71.
