Sam Hutsby remains in the lead at the halfway stage of the European Tour qualifying school, although he is now just one clear of the pack.
Sullivan cuts lead as Walker Cup stars dominate in Girona
Sam Hutsby remains in the lead at the halfway stage of the European Tour qualifying school, although he is now just one clear of the pack.
Hutsby carded a 68 in Girona to move to 15 under par to stay at the top of the leaderboard, with former Walker Cup team-mate Andy Sullivan closing him down with a 67.
His only dropped shot came at the 13th - his fourth - but he got it back at the 18th but a solid closing nine maintained the momentum.
He is still on course to complete a second successful visit to the Qualifying School, having finished runner-up behind his compatriot Simon Khan in 2009.
"I only missed two greens, but just couldn't buy a putt," he said of the third round. "So I'm a little disappointed, because I felt I played well enough to break away a bit.
"But I'm still leading, so I would have taken that at the start of the day. My target is six rounds in the 60s, so that goal is still on. There are still three rounds to go, but I'm in a nice position.
"It's strange that we're only half way. Most of us played two or three practice rounds, so it already feels like a long week but there are three rounds to go. I feel fresh though, and I've been sleeping well. I've been playing nicely, so I'm looking forward to the next three days."
Six birdies
Sullivan, who played alongside Tom Lewis in Great Britain and Ireland's triumphant 2011 Walker Cup team, mixed six birdies with three bogeys to move to 14 under par and within sight of claiming a European Tour card just three months after joining the professional ranks.
The English duo will be joined in the final group by Peter Gustafsson, who made the perfect start to his round of 66 with an eagle at the 10th hole. The Swede won the Qualifying School in 2004 but is yet to finish inside the top 30 in two previous visits to PGA Catalunya Resort, so is hoping to rectify that record this week.
A sublime round of 62 also set his fellow Scandinavian Thomas Norret on course to reclaim the European Tour card he earned 12 months ago. He reached the turn in just 29 thanks chiefly to a five birdie burst from the fourth hole, before making three more gains to finish on 12 under par.
Three-time European Tour winner Nick Dougherty endured a difficult day though, as a round of 75 left him on four over par and facing an uphill task to make Thursday's cut.
"I've got a little bit of an ailment at the moment with my hip, where it clicks and goes, and when it does I'm lucky if I make contact with the ball," he said. "It happened on the first tee, which was my tenth hole, and I made a bogey then never really made a shot after that.
"For nine holes today I played phenomenal, I should have been nine under but still nothing went my way."
