BRADLEY NEIL'S first taste of European Tour life will last through the weekend after the Blairgowrie teenager survived the cut in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in South Africa, writes Bruce Langholm.
While Scott Jamieson leads the Scottish contingent in a share of 15th, Neil, the reigning Amateur champion who is playing on an invitation, dragged himself over the qualifying line for the closing two rounds with a two-under 70 for a one-under 143. Another teenager to make the cut was Renato Paratore, the Italian rookie who earned his tour card at the qualifying school recently. The 17-year-old hit a 68 for 141.
Jamieson carded a 70 for his 138 tally but he is 10 shots behind Branden Grace, who leads by five from Francesco Molinari, after a 66 pushed the South African on to the 128 mark. "This is a golf course that suits me and if I keep hitting everything in play the way I have been the first two days then it should be a good weekend," said Grace, a four-time winner on the European circuit.
David Drysdale had a tidy, four-birdie 68 for 139 while Craig Lee's 72 left him on an aggregate of 140.
In the Far East, the Englishman Tommy Fleetwood harnessed the blustery conditions to move into the halfway lead at the Thailand Golf Championship. Fleetwood, the winner of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in 2013, posted a battling three-under 69 for a four-under 140 and a slender one stroke advantage over Marcus Fraser and Lee Westwood. Sergio Garcia, the defending champion, is six off the pace.
Adam Scott, the world No 3, is in a position to pounce heading into the closing 36 holes of the Australian PGA Championship. The former Masters champion lurked in third place on a 137, just two shots behind joint leaders Scott Strange and Wade Ormsby.
On the Ladies European Tour, Sally Watson hauled herself into the top 30 during the third round of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters but her hopes of securing the circuit's rookie of the year award remain slim. Watson, who birdied her final hole on Thursday to make the cut with nothing to spare, made gains on two of her final three holes yesterday in a four-under 68 for a two-under 214. While that effort carried her up the standings, she is still playing catch up on the Welshwoman Amy Boulden, who stayed on course for the rookie of the year prize. Boulden, some £6000 ahead of Watson on the money list, stayed in front of her Scottish rival with a 69 for 213. Denmark's Nicole Broche Larsen gave her rookie of the year bid a boost with a 66 to move into a share of sixth behind runaway leader, Feng Shanshan, who is five clear of Mel Reid with one round to play.
In Mauritius, Colin Montgomerie began his challenge in the European Senior circuit's MCB Tour Championship with a one-over 71 to sit alongside fellow Scots, Ross Drummond and Bill Longmuir in a share of ninth. Monty, who has already won the Senior Tour's order of merit after a season polished by two major victories, finished three strokes behind early leader Barry Lane.
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