Boyd on course for final stage

English amateur Gary Boyd upstaged a host of professionals as he surged into second place after the third round of stage two of the European Tour’s qualifying school.

Boyd, third in this year’s European Amateur championship in Berlin, fired a five-under 67 for an eight-under total of 208 and lies five strokes behind runaway leader Sion Bebb of Wales heading into the closing round.

Bebb, the 39-year-old who finished fourth in this season’s Omega European Masters but still lost his card after coming 155th on the money list, posted a 70.

Boyd’s former England team-mate Seve Benson and Irish amateur Peter O’Keefe are on course to progress to next week’s final stage on five under but Aberdeen’s Scott Henderson, the 1997 European Tour rookie of the year, is out of the race on six over.

At Arcos Gardens, former Open championship silver medal winner David Dixon lost his grip on top spot after a 71 left him on 10 under. He was overtaken by Iceland’s Birgir Hafthorsson who returned a superb 65.

Scottish rookie Lloyd Saltman, 45th at the start of day three, gave his qualifying hopes a boost with a battling three-under 69.

The 23-year-old lies one under par, two shots outside the current qualifying mark with a round to go.

Gareth Maybin, who will form part of the Irish team for the World Cup in China later this month, slipped to a 74 and is three strokes outside the all-important top-19.