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Gillen produces best form to retain tour card

Golf Digest/LET QUALIFYING: Ireland's Martina Gillen earned her Ladies European Tour card for the 2008 season with an impressive…

Sat Oct 27 2007 - 01:00

Golf Digest/LET QUALIFYING:Ireland's Martina Gillen earned her Ladies European Tour card for the 2008 season with an impressive, four-under-par 68 in her final round at the Final Qualifying School at Le Fonti Golf Club, Italy.

Gillen finished joint fourth, five shots off leader Dana Lacy (Australia), and will join Rebecca Coakley on next year's Ladies European Tour as Ireland's representatives.

Gillen got off to a flying start, birdieing her opening two holes, and went on to fire another four birdies over the next eight holes.

Joint leader through 13 holes, she dropped two shots over the closing holes, but her earlier hard work was well rewarded as she signed for her second 68 of the week.

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Lacy fired rounds of 69, 67, 72 and 67 for a 72-hole total of 275, 13 under par.

CHALLENGE TOUR:Stephen Browne carded a two-under-par 69 in the third round of the Challenge Tour's Apulia San Domenico Grand Final to retain a faint hope of winning back his European Tour card.

The 33-year-old Dubliner moved to six-under-par 207, six shots off the pace, with 18 holes to play at the San Domenico Golf, and will need to post a low final round to finish in the top two positions and achieve his ultimate goal.

"It was an unbelievable day again - a few dramatic pars here, there and everywhere, but I still have a little chance," said Browne.

"I played well, battled hard and chipped in a few times, so it was another good day in many ways.

"If I can get going and post a good number then hopefully the guys in the last matches will get a bit nervy and drop some shots.

"I need a bit of luck but I feel capable of getting a low round in, so hopefully I can post a score and then see what happens."

While Browne still has an outside chance of success, Colm Moriarty needs something of a miracle if he is to finish in the top two after a damaging third round of four-over-par 75 left him on two over for the tournament and 14 shots behind the leader, Jamie Donaldson of Wales.

HASSAN TROPHY:Producing the best score of the day with a second 67 to top the leaderboard at 12-under-par 134, Padraig Harrington opened a five-shot lead at the halfway mark in the Hassan II Trophy at Royal Golf Dar Es-Salam of Rabat.

Jeev Milka Singh from India is alone in second place on 139 after a 68, with Darren Clarke, American Mark O'Meara and England's Simon Dyson tied for third place on six-under-par 140.

n LPGA: Suzann Pettersen's second round of four-under-par 68 yesterday featured only seven pars, but the four-time winner this season remained on top of the leaderboard after the second round of the Honda LPGA Thailand.

She finished at 11-under-par 133 and is two clear of Alena Sharp at the Pattaya Old Course at Siam Country Club. Sharp also shot 68 to reach halfway at nine under par. Laura Davies fired a six-under 66 and is alone in third at seven-under 137.