David Higgins took advantage of perfect conditions at Guadalmina to move among the top 20 contenders for Tour cards at the halfway stage of the PGA European Qualifying School yesterday.

The Waterville professional shot a third round 70 for 213, and was followed under par at the 54hole stage of the six-round examination by Francis Howley and Richard Coughlan, who is almost certain to be the only one of three 1997 Walker Cup players to qualify for the final 36 holes.

Howley had 71 for 214, and Coughlan also toured the Marbella course in 71, to be one shot behind. Ballybunion's Sean Quinlivan, who had put himself in considerable jeopardy with an opening 78 at San Roque, bounced from the lower to the top half of the field by getting round the headquarters course in a splendid 68. Six birdies elevated the 22-year-old to a one-over-par 217 and a share of 52nd place.

New Zealander Michael Campbell, the pre-School favourite, stamped his authority on the proceedings when he birdied the last three holes for a 67 and 208, one better than Swede Fredrik Henge (66), Dutchman Robert Jan Derksen (67), Australian Andre Stolz and Londoner Philip Golding.

The Maori will lead the field into the fourth round at San Roque today, after which the leading 75 and ties will go forward to contest the final 36 holes on Tuesday and Wednesday. The leading 40 and ties will then be granted cards for the 1998 European Tour.

Higgins lost his place on the circuit this season when he won only £21,000 from 29 events and finished 157th in the Volvo Ranking. But he again demonstrated his determination to regain his card by rebounding immediately after a mistake, and collecting four birdies.

"I am playing steady golf and everything is satisfactory so far," he said after successive birdie fours at the sixth and seventh enabled him to atone for driving into a bunker and losing a stroke at the fifth.

Then, after three putts at the 12th had cost him the bonus of a birdie from five feet at the 10th, he pitched within inches of the 15th flag. But he was unable to convert any of the 10-foot chances his accurate iron play created at the last three holes.

Milltown's Howley had three birdies in the first eight inward holes, getting down from 15 and eight feet at the 10th and 13th, then pitching only five feet from the 17th pin. But he misjudged his pitch to the elevated final green, and when his ball plugged in sand, had to work hard to escape with a bogey.

"I am still there and now we get to a real golf course for the rest of the week," remarked Howley, who much prefers the modern design of San Roque to the tree-lined resort course of Guadalmina.

Coughlan, who is aiming to secure Tour cards on both sides of the Atlantic, will also relish the stiffer test at School headquarters. But so far his golf has been purposeful and confident, and he has comprehensively outplayed his Walker Cup team-mates, David Park (79 for 225) and Steven Young (75 for 225).

Single putts from around six feet on the first three greens, two for par and one for a birdie at the short second, settled him down, and though Coughlan dropped shots at the sixth, where he was in the trees, and the ninth, where he was bunkered, he was back in 34. He almost sank his pitch shot to the 13th, and created an eagle chance from 15 feet after a superb two-iron to get home at the uphill par five 16th.

Quinlivan could easily have birdied the first four holes. His chip lipped out at the first, but he sank putts of 20, 10, and eight feet on the next three greens, before forfeiting strokes at the next two holes.

Then a rare birdie at the 471yard eighth, where he hit a fouriron approach to four feet, put him out in 34, and birdie fours at the 10th and 17th left him four under for the day.

It should have been even better for Quinlivan missed from within three feet for a birdie at the last. But he was still happy.

"I got my putting going and I am right back in it," he said. "If I get a decent fourth round, that will do nicely. I just have to be patient."

Both Ballymena-born Cameron Clark and his caddie, Jim Latte, have been suffering from a virus since arrival in Spain, and the Worcester-based professional has been on a diet of fruit and water for four days.

"I feel terrible," he said after a 72 for 217, but he was happy with the birdies at the 14th and 17th that enabled him to make up for the seven-iron he fired out of bounds at the short 11th.

For Ulster's Jim Carvill and Kent-based club pro John Murray, the School will close today. Both had 76 at San Roque, Carvill for a nine-over-225, and Murray for 229.