Golf:Colm Moriarty's hopes of securing an automatic European Tour card all but ended after he slipped further down the field on the third day of the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final in Italy.
The Athlone golfer needs to finish second at worst in Puglia to have any chance of winning a European Tour card awarded to the top 20 on the Challenge Tour standings after today's final round. He is currently 42nd (€29,308).
In tough conditions Moriarty dropped to six over and into a tie for 27th after a third round 73. The 31-year-old trailed overnight leader, Daniel Gaunt, by 12 shots after the Australian carded a 66 to lead by two on six under from Austria's Bernd Wiesberger (70).
Moriarty now looks certain for a return trip to the final stage of Qualifying School at PGA Catalunya at the beginning of December.
