John Parry leads the way at the PartyPoker.com PGA Europro Tour Qualifying School final stage at Frilford Heath in Oxford at seven under par.
Two under from the opening round on Wednesday (April 16), the Harrogate GC man bagged birdies at the fifth and eighth to go through the front nine two under, and picked up three more shots on the home straight in a faultless round of five under on another bitter spring day in Oxford.
Paul Maddy also shot five under for the day, a score he could've bettered if it hadn't been for bogeys at 17 and 18. The Gog Magog (Cambridge) player featured on the Tour last year and ensured he'd be right in the mix on the final day with his five under following an opening round of 73 to take him to three under, with two players between him and Parry.
Simon Thornton (Royal County Down) won last week's first stage qualifier at Forest Pines in Lincolnshire and followed his 69 yesterday with 68 to go into the final round two shots behind Parry at five under.
Jamie Moul (Stoke by Nayland) was in a group of three leaders at four under overnight and shot level par to stay there. Ian Lyner and Chris McCalman joined Moul, with Lyner shooting three over par to lie at one under while McCalman was kicking himself after incurring a four stroke penalty for carrying too many clubs in his bag, contributing to a score of 14 over, ten over in total.
Steven Cowle (Farnham GC) jumped into the mix for the final day with a 68 taking him to one under after his first round 73. Farrington's Steven Ritchie finished the first round at three under but suffered on the second day carding ten over, while Jeremy Kavanagh (Stoke Park) shot four over par to spoil his first day 68, double bogeying 18 to go into the final day one over.
126 players will play the final round, with the cut at eight over par.