It has been a turbulent return to the European Tour for Scott Henry but after a dispiriting sequence of results, the Clydebank man has plenty to play for heading into the final round of the BMW International Open in Munich.

Having missed 14 cuts in a row in the new campaign, Henry hasn’t made a single penny in 2017 but the former Scottish Strokeplay champion is on course for a major financial fillip after barging his way into the top-six after three rounds of the £1.7 million tournament.

The 30-year-old, a winner on the European Challenge Tour in 2012, posted a rousing six-under 66 for a nine-under 207 and sits four shots behind the joint leaders, Richard Bland and Sergio Garcia, the reigning Masters champion.

Henry, who is back on the main European circuit for the first time since 2013, had been level-par for his round after five holes but he produced a profitable thrust with five birdies over his next seven holes. Despite slipping to a bogey on the 15th, Henry finished with a flourish and made further gains at the 16th and 18th to keep himself in the title hunt.

Garcia, making his first appearance on European soil since his Augusta triumph, posted a 67 for a 13-under tally and was joined on that mark by Bland, who is aiming for his first European Tour win in his 410th appearance on the circuit.

Garcia made seven birdies in his round while Bland’s own 67 certainly didn’t mirror his surname as he managed a birdie from the water on 11, where he splashed out and knocked in a 20-footer, before holing his second shot for an eagle on the 13th.

“I kind of ran pretty much into everything,” said Bland, who sits down in 176th place on the tour’s rankings. “The confidence has been a little fragile recently. I've not been playing that great. But rounds like that certainly help.”

Garcia, who leads the Race to Dubai rankings, was happy enough with his round which was illuminated by three birdies in four holes around the turn.

"It's nice but it doesn't mean that it's finished,” he said. “We have a long day to come and I’ll try to keep being aggressive.

In the unpaid game, meanwhile, England’s Harry Ellis mounted a late salvage operation to win the 122nd Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s.

The 21-year-old had been four-down with just five holes to play in his showdown with Dylan Perry over the robust Sandwich links but took advantage of his Australian opponent’s stumbling finish.

Perry slipped to damaging bogeys on four of those remaining holes including three in a row at 16, 17 and 18 which allowed Ellis to restore parity.

Ellis, who won the English Amateur Championship as a 16-year-old, completed his recovery by winning on the 38th hole as Perry racked up a double-bogey. The victory secured Ellis an invitation to next month’s Open as well as a tee-time for the 2018 Masters at Augusta.