EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR FINALE

George Murray can take

it easy in Italy

FROM THE SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE
By Nick Rodger
As the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final reaches a pressurised conclusion in southern Italy on Saturday, George Murray will cut a relaxed figure amid the tension as he looks to set the seal on a rewarding campaign.
The 27-year-old from Anstruther moved up into a share of tenth in the Challenge Tour showdown yesterday with a three-under 68 for a one-under 212 which left him five shots behind Australian leader Daniel Gaunt, who surged to the front with a 66.
Murray has already sealed promotion to next year's European Tour having manoeuvred himself into eighth place on the second-tier circuit's order of merit during a season illuminated by a maiden title in the Scottish Hydro Challenge.
While he is still targeting a strong finish today to cement his place in the top-ten on the money-list, which will secure a high category for 2011, the former Scottish Amateur champion is enjoying the fact that he is sitting in such a comfortable position and not scrapping for one of the 20 promotion places on offer.
"For some of the other players who are further down the order of merit, it must be horrible at this stage of the event," said Murray, who highlighted a tidy round with two birdie putts of 20-feet at the 13th and 16th. "I'm in a fortunate position where I can kind of relax here. But I've worked hard all season and played well."
Glasgow's Scott Jamieson, 11th on the rankings and also on course for the 2011 Race to Dubai, was left disappointed with a one-over 72 as he slipped off the pace with a one-over 214.
The 26-year-old started brightly with a birdie on the third but a quartet of bogeys hindered his progress, although he did repair some of the damage with a nine-iron to eight-feet on the last which led to a birdie-three.
Raymond Russell made sure he would have everything to play for over the closing 18-holes with a neatly-assembled 69 that moved him up into the leading 20 with a two-over 215.
The 38-year-old from Prestonpans is 21st on the money-list and some £1500 short of the promotion-winning top-20 but the former European Tour champion refused to embroil himself in the mathematics of his situation ahead of his biggest round of the season. "I'm not trying to think of the bigger picture," said Russell.
"I don't think it's worth looking at the order of merit and trying to work out all the possibilities until it's all done."
Jamie McLeary, whose challenge ended with a 79 in round two, endured another torrid day and covered his last eight holes in seven-over for 76 and a 226.
At the head of the field, Melbourne-born Gaunt, took another major step towards taking his place at the top table with a five-under round that moved him two clear of Bernd Wiesberger with a six-under 207.

Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes writes:
Australian Daniel Gaunt will carry a two-stroke lead into the final day of the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final, when the fates of the 45 hopefuls battling for 20 European Tour cards will be decided.
After a round of 66 which moved him to six under par, Gaunt – whose life has changed immeasurably since winning the English Challenge in the summer – is now targeting a second Challenge Tour title to put the seal on a season which started with him playing on the third tier of professional golf.
Regardless of the outcome of the €300,000 event – which is being played at the stunning San Domenico Golf in Puglia, on Italy’s Adriatic coastline – Gaunt has guaranteed his graduation to The European Tour, where he will be joined by Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, currently in second place on four under par.
A closing bogey on the 18th hole, where he left his approach short of the green, rankled with the man from Melbourne, whose only other mistake came at the 14th hole, where he managed to save par after finding the water.
Gaunt, currently 12th in the Challenge Tour Rankings, said:
“I’m pretty annoyed with the bogey on the last, because it’s one of the easier holes on the course. I hit a pretty average drive and then mishit my wedge, so it wasn’t the best of finishes. The only other mistake was at the 14th, but saving par meant I managed to maintain the momentum, then I holed a long putt on the 17th to build it even further.
"But the nature of golf is that you forget about those and only remember the last hole, especially if it’s a bad one. Overall I have to be very pleased with a round of 66 though, especially as it takes me to the top of the leaderboard.”
A third victory of the campaign for Wiesberger would see the big-hitting Austrian end the season as the Number One graduate, unless current Rankings leader Alvaro Velasco of Spain can finish inside the top six and so move out of reach.
After two disappointing rounds Velasco fought back valiantly with a three under par round of 68 to recover to one over par, but the Spaniard still trails Wiesberger by five strokes.
The man from Vienna started brightly with gains at the third and fourth en route to turning in 32, but a cold putter and a bogey on the 17th – where Gaunt’s birdie meant a two-shot swing – saw him sign for a round of 70.
He said: “I got a couple of bad lies in the rough on the front nine, especially on the fifth where I made bogey. But after turning in two under par I felt pretty good, and then on the back nine I just couldn’t get anything going – especially on the greens. I just couldn’t read the greens at all. I hardly holed anything at all from the three to five metre range, so I’m going to go and work on that on the practice green.
"Then, even when I did hit a good putt on the 17th green I got unlucky, because my ball went left after hitting a pitch mark or a spike mark. So that kind of summed up the day for me on the greens. But hopefully that was my bad break for the week, and I can have a bit more luck on the greens on the last day.”
Peter Gustafsson is on three under par in a share of third place alongside England’s Matt Haines and American Christopher Ryan Baker thanks largely to a late rally in his round of 70. The Swede’s prospects of securing the top two finish he requires in order to leap into the top 20 of the Rankings appeared to recede after bogeys at the eighth, tenth and 12th holes, but he picked two shots up on the 15th and 16th to boost his hopes of a securing a maiden Challenge Tour title and with it a place on The European Tour.
Haines stands every chance of consolidating, and even improving on, his place in the top 20 of the Rankings after a round of 69 which featured four birdies.

He said: “I struggled reading the greens today, but hopefully the pin positions on the final day will suit me more. I like this course – it suits my game. The fairways are quite generous, so you’re not under too much pressure. I’m sure there will be pressure tomorrow, but I’m confident of coping and coming away with my card.”

Baker, who won in Morocco earlier in the season, is currently in 38th place in the Rankings, and so like Gustafsson would need to finish first or second in order to secure promotion to The European Tour for the first time.

Further down the leaderboard, the likes of England’s Charlie Ford (currently 20th in the Rankings) and Spaniard Carlos del Moral (19th) will be staring nervously over their shoulders, as respective rounds of 69 and 72 left them languishing in tied 27th and joint 21st places.