Advantage McIlroy as Fitzpatrick and Fox cut at Valderrama

Rory McIlroy’s chances of being crowned European number one for the fourth time increased exponentially yesterday when his immediate pursuers Matt Fitzpatrick and Ryan Fox missed the cut in the Andalucía Masters.

Kiwi Fox, who is third behind the Holywood star in the DP World Tour rankings, double-bogeyed the 18th and shot a one-over 72 to miss the three-over cut by a shot, while second-ranked Fitzpatrick posted a second successive 74 to finish two shots further back alongside Clandeboye’s Jonathan Caldwell, who shot 77.

Spanish duo Angel Hidalgo and Adrian Otaegui and Australia’s Min Woo Lee lead by three strokes on nine-under par from Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren.

Hidalgo made eight birdies in a bogey-free 63 to set the target, while Lee chiselled out a fine 67 and Otaegui a 66 to join him in the lead.

In the Challenge Tour’s English Trophy at Frilford Heath, play was suspended due to darkness with 21 players still to finish.

France’s Ugo Coussaud leads the final regular season event on 13-under par after a 65, but it was a good day for 16th-ranked Tom McKibbin and 42nd-ranked John Murphy as they jostle for spots on the top 45 who contest next month’s Challenge Tour Grand Final In Mallorca.

Holywood teenager McKibbin (19) is well-placed to win a DP World Tour card awarded to the top 20 in the Road to Mallorca standings after he shot 66 to share 18th on nine-under with Kinsale star Murphy, who posted a gutsy, bogey-free 67 to keep his season alive.

Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell, who needs a huge week to make the top 45 from 64th in the standings, was tied 37th on seven-under through 12 holes, but Rosapenna’s Ruaidhri McGee, who is on the bubble at 46th in the Rankings, lies a shot outside the projected cut on four-under after a 70  in the final regular event.

On the Ladies European Tour, Leona Maguire’s Pro-Am team failed to convert their overnight lead into victory in the Armaco Team Series at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in New York.

Team Maguire finished five shots behind Team Gustaffson in the final standings as the Co Cavan star carded a level par 72 to lie 10 strokes behind leader Lexi Thompson on two-over heading into today’s final round in the individual event.

Meanwhile,  Pádraig Harrington is five strokes behind Rocco Mediate after opening with a two-under 70 in the PGA Tour Champions’ SAS Championship in Florida.