Kearney and Thornton slip down leaderboard

NIALL KEARNEY and Simon Thornton both broke 70 but still slipped further down the leaderboard on a day of red-hot scoring in the third round of the European Tour Qualifying School final stage at PGA de Catalunya.

Warm temperatures and calm conditions produced a rash of red numbers, especially on the easier Tour Course. But while Kearney shot a 67 there and Thornton a two under par 68, they were overtaken in the cavalry charge of players hoping to finish among the top 30 and ties after six rounds.

Royal Dublin player Kearney was four under for the day with eight holes to play after an eagle at the 10th but needed birdies at the 16th and 18th to play them in level par having dropped shots at the 14th and 15th.

Tied for 52nd, three shots outside the vital top 30 on four under, Kearney said: “I feel that I left a lot of shots out there because I had loads of chances for birdies, shaved the hole a few times and lipped out. But it’s only halfway and I’m happy enough I can score on the Stadium Course.”

Thornton was also four under through 10 holes but he dropped two shots coming home to slip back to tied 59th on three under. He knows a good round on the Stadium Course will put him back in the mix, though he is also just a shot inside the top 70 and ties who make the 72-hole cut after today’s fourth round.

Colm Moriarty’s level par 72 on the Stadium Course left him three shots outside the top 70 on one-over and he now needs a low round on the Tour Course to make the final two rounds. Barring a round in the low 60s on the Tour Course today, Damian Mooney’s hopes are in tatters after a scrappy 77 on the Stadium Course left him tied for 128th on six over. Scotland’s Lloyd Saltman (64), Spain’s Alfredo Garcia Heredia (64) and England’s Steven Lewton (66) top the leaderboard on 11 under par after burning up the Tour Course yesterday.