Fraser Mann has one hand on the key

of the door to 2010 Seniors Tour

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Musselburgh pro Fraser Mann boosted his hopes of winning a place on next year's European Senior Tour with an excellent round of five-under-par 66 in the third round at Pestana Golf Resort's Vale da Pinta course on Portugal's Algarve coast.
The Carnoustie man, pictured, who won both the Northern Open and the Scottish professional championship in 2002, is sharing seventh place on four-under-par 209 with one round to go. Ie he can finish in the top six, then Fraser will get the key of the door to almost every tournament on the over-50s circuit next season.
If he finishes between seventh and 14th, then he will still be able to rub shoulders with Sam Torrance, Ian Woosnam & Co but not so many times.
Dundee's Steve Martin and Aberdeen's Peter Smith have survived the 54-hole cut but their real target must be to make that seventh to 14th bracket with a score like Mann's today, i.e. 66 or better.
Martin and Smith both scored one-under-par 70s today which put Steve in 25th place on his own on 214 and Peter into a share of 26th place.
The three other Scots in the field- Anglo Billy McColl, Glasgow's Mike Miller and Kirkhill's Duncan Williamson failed to beat the cut which fell at 218 (five over par).
McColl was on 221 after 54 holes, Miller on 222 and Williamson on 226.

John Harrison increases lead to three strokes

STEVE TODD, European Seniors Tour Press Officer, writes:
John Harrison extended his lead to three shots going into the final round of the European Senior Tour Qualifying School as he closed in on a place on the Senior Tour in 2010.
Harrison fired a four under par round of 67 that included seven birdies, a bogey and a double bogey to move clear of Australian Graham Banister and Argentine Adan Sowa on ten under par 203.
The Englishman came flying out of the traps in his third round, carding four birdies in his opening five holes at Pestana Golf Resort’s Vale da Pinta. He suffered a hiccup with a double bogey on the seventh hole when he hit his drive out of bounds and had to get up and down for a six but recovered immediately with a birdie on the eighth before picking up another shot on the tenth hole.
The club professional from Matfen Hall Golf Club in Newcastle upon Tyne then rolled in a 30ft birdie putt on the 14th hole but dropped a shot on the 15th before a run of pars on the way in sealed his place at the top of the leaderboard.
Harrison – who turns 50 in May – is looking to follow in the footsteps of his brothers Philip and Steve who have both played on the Senior Tour.
With six players gaining full cards and those finishing in seventh to 14th place securing alternate cards for 2010, Harrison is in pole position to make it a family hat-trick, currently sitting seven shots better off than 14th position.
“I was really pleased with my round again today and I’ve improved my position from overnight so I’ve got to be happy with that,” he said. “I’m going to go out tomorrow and play exactly as I have for the first three rounds.
“You won’t see my hitting irons off the tee, not even the seventh which I double bogeyed when I perhaps pushed too hard. I’m a naturally aggressive player and it’s not in my nature to play it safe.
“Although there are some tricky holes there are a lot of birdie chances out there and if I can make four or five tomorrow I should be alright.
“No matter how well you are scoring there will be pressure out there. It’s the most stress I’ve felt on the course because it’s not like a tournament where if you blow out you just lose some money - we are playing for the whole of next year. I suppose I’d take a place in the top six right now but I’m going out there to win it.”
Chasing Harrison all the way will be Banister, who carded nine birdies in a round of 66 while Sowa posted six birdies in 13 holes but finished with back-to-back bogeys for a round of 67.
Sweden’s Peter Dahlberg fired the lowest round of the week so far to give himself a chance of securing a full card, improving by ten shots on his second round score.
Dahlberg, who led the qualifiers from Millride for The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard in July, carded an eagle on the 12th hole as well as six birdies for a round of 64, just one shot outside Guillermo Encina’s course record.
That moved him to seven under par and into a share of four place with compatriot Anders Johnsson, four shots off the pace going into the final round having started the day in a share of 23rd place.
He said: “It was a great round. I played really solid and hit nearly every green in regulation. My first round of 69 could have been a few shots better then I’m not sure what happened yesterday. My partner is caddying for me and she said she didn’t recognise me out there. I couldn’t explain it.
“Today was a lot better and I’ve given myself a real chance.”
England’s Ricky Willison is in sixth spot – the last to gain a full card – following a round of 71 which kept him on five under par. There are six players tied on four under par, including former World Cup winner Torsten Giedeon, while 40 players made the cut which landed on five over par.

THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
203 J Harrison (Eng) 68 68 67,
206 A Sowa (Arg) 68 71 67, G Banister (Aus) 71 69 66,
207 A Johnsson (Swe) 69 70 68, P Dahlberg (Swe) 69 74 64,
208 R Willison (Eng) 67 70 71
209 A Fernandez (Chi) 73 68 68, J Stuart (USA) 68 71 70, F Mann (Sco) 69 74 66, T Giedeon (Ger) 67 71 71, M Donald (USA) 69 68 72, J Gould (Eng) 71 68 70
210 J Sallat (Fra) 68 72 70, M Williams (Zim) 68 75 67, G Davies (Wal) 68 71 71
211 G Gunn (Can) 71 67 73, M Briggs (Eng) 72 69 70
212 T Burgoyne (Swe) 69 73 70, P Oakley (USA) 69 72 71, B Hardwick (Can) 72 69 71, M Belsham (Eng) 73 72 67
213 S Cipa (Eng) 71 70 72, G Towne (USA) 69 72 72, P Allan (Eng) 70 68 75,
214 S Martin (Sco) 76 68 70
216 J Stansberry (USA) 74 69 73, P Smith (Sco) 76 70 70, J Hall (Eng) 73 75 68, C Acutis (Ita) 73 72 71, M Aparicio (Esp) 68 78 70, M Gallagher (Eng) 72 74 70, D Johnson (USA) 69 75 72,
217 S Van Vuuren (RSA) 75 69 73, I Mosey (Eng) 75 68 74, M Kierstenson (Eng) 74 73 70, J King (Eng) 70 70 77, J Mills (am) (Eng) 73 71 73
218 G Ryall (Eng) 70 72 76, S Shields (Eng) (am) 74 72 72, K Worm (Den) (am) 74 70 74

MISSED THE CUT
219 M Thomas (USA) 77 71 71, M Moreno (Esp) 73 73 73, M Lord (Eng) 71 74 74, D Rios (Arg) 74 74 71, D Narveson (USA) 75 73 71, T Planchin (Fra) 76 74 69
220 S Stull (USA) 74 79 67, F Regard (Fra) 75 75 70, R Morris (Eng) 71 76 73, B Stevens (Eng) 75 73 72
221 J Davila (Esp) 72 73 76, B McColl (Sco) 75 75 71, J Seifert (Cze) 72 74 75
222 F Dhondt (Bel) 74 73 75, M Miller (Sco) 74 75 73, V Bueno (Chi) 75 71 76, C Grenier (Aut) 72 75 75, R Masters (Eng) 73 74 75, F Kiddie (Eng) 76 75 71, S East (Eng) (am) 76 72 74
223 D Regan (Eng) 77 73 73, S Bennett (Eng) 78 74 71, T Price (Wal) 76 75 72
224 T Jones (USA) 75 77 72, J Laforce (Can) 78 72 74, M Deeley (Eng) 76 78 70, D Young (Eng) 72 76 76
225 M Söderberg (Swe) 71 76 78
226 L Cooper (USA) 79 73 74, D Williamson (Sco) 71 77 78, P Dugeny (Fra) 75 77 74, N Clarke (RSA) 74 76 76
227 D Hammett (USA) 75 76 76, J Hoskison (Eng) 75 76 76
228 J Ackerman (RSA) 75 75 78, C Linstead (Eng) 80 73 75
229 G Krause (Eng) 76 80 73
231 R Uhlir (USA) 73 80 78
233 E Alessandrini (Ita) 76 75 82
234 S Bonham (Eng) 78 83 73,
Retired: V Garcia (Esp) 73 80 ret