Grehan edges closer to Challenge Tour promotion with third place finish in Clevedon
Stuart Grehan kisses the trophy following his win in Spey Valley two weeks ago. Picture: PGA Europro Tour
Stuart Grehan finished just a shot outside a playoff for the PGA Europro Tour's Wright-Morgan Championship at Clevedon but moved to within touching distance of winning a Challenge Tour card heading to the season-ending Matchroom Tour Championship at Lough Erne Resort next month.
The Tullamore man closed with a one-under 69 to finish third on 11-under par as Josh Hilleard shot 72 to a 70 by Ryan Brooks and beat him on the first playoff hole to jump to fourth in the Order of Merit.
Grehan, who won the Spey Valley Golf Resort event two weeks ago, moved up two places to fifth in the Order of Merit with the top five after the Tour Championship winning promotion to the Challenge Tour.
"Another solid week," tweeted Grehan, who is no seventh in the Order of Merit. "Tough one to take, but we go again in a couple of weeks."
Only the top 60 progress to the £102,460 event at Lough Erne with James Allan, Ballymena's Dermot McElroy and Michael Stewart looking all but certain of promotion as the top three in the season-long race.
Whitehead's John Ross Galbraith is 30th with 57th-ranked Ronan Mullarney the only other Irish player to make the top 60.
Conor O'Rourke, who came through the First Stage of the DP World Tour Q-School with Paul McBride and Jonny Yates, finished 61st after playing just five events.
Tim Rice (78th in six starts), Daniel Mulligan (109th, 12), Luke Donnelly (115th, 13), Robin Dawson (142nd, 3), Rhys Clarke (147th, 11), Conor Cloyne (158th, 10), were the other Irish to rack up points on the third tier circuit.