Early starters make their move in Mallorca

Austrian Markus Brier and Swede Peter Hedblom made early moves through the field in the third round of the Mallorca Classic.

Brier, after surviving the halfway cut with nothing to spare on four over par, went to the turn in a four-under-par 31, while Hedblom joined him on level par with birdies at the first two holes and then another on the long sixth.

France’s Francois Delamontagne holed-in-one at the short ninth, but that followed four bogeys in the previous six holes and he stood six-over along with England’s Nick Dougherty, who was missing out on the chance to make a big leap up from his current 10th place in the Ryder Cup points race.

The top two overnight were former Ryder Cup team-mates Paul Broadhurst and Jose Maria Olazabal, seven-under and six-under respectively.

Attention was also on the battle to stay on the European Tour, but 1999 Ryder Cup man Jarmo Sandelin was not making the move he hoped for after surprisingly making the cut on the limit.

The Swede needed a top-four finish, but after coverig the first 10 holes in one-under he stood joint 64th.

An opening bogey did not help England’s Sam Little either. He was in a tie for 31st at halfway and required a top-24 finish to have a chance of avoiding a return to the qualifying school.