St Andrews-born Gordon Manson in action on the Algarve today  (©Getty Images).

Fifer Manson goes clear at Senior Q School

By STEVE TODD
European Senior Tour Press Officer
Scot Gordon Manson will take a two-stroke advantage into the final round of European Senior Tour Qualifying School after a battling two under par 69 in tough conditions on Portugal's southern Algarve coastline
The St Andrews-born 50 year old, who plays under the Austrian flag after moving there in 1984 and become the country's national coach, was one of only four players under par for the third round at Pestana Golf Resort’s Vale da Pinta.
Only Manson and Chilean Angel Fernandez, who also signed for a 69, posted rounds in the 60s as morning rain and wind claimed a number of victims.
Manson boosted his chances of securing playing rights for the 2011 Senior Tour season with a fine eagle on the par four 11th, holing his nine iron approach shot from 122 yards.
That came after birdies on the first and tenth holes, with bogeys on the third and eighth holes sandwiched in between.
A run of seven consecutive pars on the way in kept him on five under par, two strokes clear of American Tim Thelen who recovered after dropping four shots on the front nine to card a 71.
“The eagle on the 11th was something special,” said Manson. “I thought it was going to be close but it went straight down the can.
“I then played really well for the next seven holes. Conditions were tough today so two under was a good score. It was the first time the wind has really blown since we’ve been out here and it changed everything.
“Yesterday I was going in on the fourth hole with a pitching wedge and today I was taking a hybrid. You just had to think hard about every shot today.”
Former Challenge Tour winner Manson grew up in Scarborough, in the North east of England, and said that foundation had helped him in the wind, as he looks for a return to Tour life following an absence of nearly 20 years.
“I do rate myself as a decent player in the wind having learned the game in the North-east of England and that certainly helped me today,” he said.
“I played on The European Tour in the 1980s and then again in the 1990s after winning on the Challenge Tour but I’ve been coaching in Austria for the last 24 years. I fancy giving it a go on the over-50s tour now though.
“I was due to come to Qualifying School last year but had some health problems so it was pushed back. It’s so far so good this time round though.”
Thelen, who led the qualifiers from First Stage at Pestana’s Gramacho course last week, birdied the last hole to maintain his impressive challenge so far.
The former Houston college colleague of Colin Montgomerie had endured a difficult front nine, double bogeying the fourth hole and dropping further shots on the fifth and ninth holes. He hit back strongly with three birdies on the back nine to move back to three under par.
One shot further back is Australian Graham Banister, who chipped in from the edge of the green to card a round of 74 after also double bogeying the fourth hole.
Overnight leader Steve Van Vuuren, of South Africa, signed for a round of 76 to lie fourth shots off the pace on one under par in a share of fourth place with Swede Peter Dahlberg (73), Fernandez (69), and Spaniard Manuel Moreno (72).
With positions one to six gaining full playing rights for 2011, all four will be hoping for a stronger showing in the final round to join players such as Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam on the Senior Tour next season. A minimum of eight further alternate cards will also be available.
Among those currently occupying the top 14 positions are two amateurs – Ireland’s Pat Errity and Frenchman François Illouz, who carded three double bogeys and five bogeys in his eventful round of 73.

SCOTSWATCH (By Colin Farquharson)
Peter Smith did not have a good day in the bad weather, dropping out of the top six for the first time since the 72-hole tournament started three days ago.
A 76 for 216 has put him in joint 19th position with one round to go. To get full playing rights on the European Senior Tour next year, the former Northern Open champion from Udny, Aberdeenshire must produce "something special" tomorrow to rejoin the leaders.
Fraser Mann from Carnoustie, the other former Northern Open champion in the field, is now the top Scot after Gordon Manson. Fraser had a sub-par 70 - great scoring in the conditions - for 213 and is in joint eighth position.
Mann, who came through last year's Senior Q School, is playing this year to improve his Category of membership so that he gets more opportunities to play on the over-50s circuit. His target must also be the top 6 to gain Category 1 ranking.

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
+48 players made the cut on 222 (+9)

208 G Manson (Aut) 67 72 69,
210 T Thelen (USA) 67 71 72,
211 G Banister (Aus) 68 69 74,
212 A Fernandez (Chi) 71 72 69, S Van Vuuren (RSA) 68 68 76, P Dahlberg (Swe) 67 72 73, M Moreno (Esp) 70 70 72,
213 F Mann (Sco) 72 71 70, J Stuart (USA) 71 70 72, J Stansberry (USA) 72 69 72,
214 M Thomas (USA) 70 70 74, T Planchin (Fra) 72 69 73, P Errity (am) (Irl) 69 71 74, F Illouz (am) (Fra) 71 70 73,
215 J Sallat (Fra) 72 71 72, H Francis (Eng) 70 71 74, T Burgoyne (Sco) 70 70 75, M Gallagher (Eng) 70 73 72,
216 P Smith (Sco) 69 71 76, J Hoskison (Eng) 74 70 72, D Talbot (Can) 73 72 71,
217 J Davila (Esp) 75 68 74, B Evans (Eng) 73 70 74, M Miller (Sco) 73 73 71,
218 D Gavrilovic (Eng) 71 70 77, D Narveson (USA) 73 72 73, S Cipa (Eng) 72 71 75, M Briggs (Eng) 69 72 77,
219 N Mitchell (Eng) 74 70 75, J Heggarty (Nir) 72 72 75, A Mackenzie (Sco) 69 74 76, M Guzman (Arg) 73 74 72, P Dugeny (Fra) 72 73 74, I Dougan (Sco) 73 68 78, S East (am) (Eng) 74 71 74,
220 A Barrera (Arg) 71 71 78, M Lord (Eng) 72 73 75,
221 M Kierstenson (Eng) 71 74 76, N Clarke (RSA) 71 77 73, S Bennett (Eng) 74 75 72, M Deboub (Eng) 73 71 77,
222 R Masters (Eng) 73 72 77, V Garcia (Esp) 70 77 75, F Regard (Fra) 72 72 78, D Blakeman (Eng) 71 75 76, A Macdonald (Eng) 75 73 74, G Krause (Eng) 75 68 79, J Murphy (am) (Eng) 74 75 73,
MISSED THE CUT
223 A Johnsson (Swe) 71 71 81, K Tarling (Can) 73 71 79, C Acutis (Ita) 75 73 75, S Shields (Eng) 70 73 80, P Allan (Eng) 75 69 79, E Costa (Por) 78 71 74, J Empey (USA) 71 73 79,
224 A Romanoff (USA) 72 79 73, E Rodriguez (Esp) 70 75 79, P Oakley (USA) 74 75 75, L Soto (Ven) 78 76 70,
225 T Feminis (USA) 74 73 78, J Buendia (Esp) 79 75 71, R Williams (Wal) 76 75 74, T Giedeon (Ger) 77 73 75, A Westwell (am) (Eng) 78 72 75,
226 P Puisset (Fra) 78 72 76,
227 A Hemsley (Sco) 76 75 76, H Larsen (Den) 73 82 72,
230 R Hunter (Eng) 75 75 80,
232 D Stirling (Eng) 74 80 78,
234 M Howell (Eng) 76 75 83,
236 M Aparicio (Esp) 75 77 84,
238 J Naya Palleiro (Esp) 74 81 83,
RET J Carson (USA) 75 69 retired