Tour SchoolDamien McGrane consolidated his position at the top end of the field in yesterday's third round of the European Tour Qualifying School Finals, the Irishman shooting a solid, if unspectacular, 70.

The round left him logjammed with nine other players, on 11 under par 204 at the half way stage, four shots behind joint leaders England's Tom Whitehouse and Per Nyman of Sweden.

"It was steady out there today you know," said McGrane after his round at Gold Platja de Pals. "But I'm glad to be finished here at Pals, - it's wearing me down slowly but surely, so I'm just looking forward to playing at Emporda the next three days."

Meanwhile, Michael Hoey who started the day at five under par, continued his good progress to be nine under for the tournament as he walked off the 15th green. But the Belfast player closed out disastrously, dropping five shots on the final three holes.

After making bogey fives at 16 and 17, Hoey took a triple bogey eight at the last to card a 73, the resultant 211 total causing him to slide down the pecking order into a tie for 74th at the half way stage.

"I am not that concerned about 16 and 17 but at the last I hit it five yards left of the fairway and the ball stayed up a tree and that was it lost," said Hoey. "I just walked back and then had the first bad swing of the day and I struggled to hold it together."

Philip Walton, despite a 69 at Emporda, once again had too many putts, while David Higgins once again failed to break par.

"I had 35 putts on the first day and 32 yesterday and today and that's just too many. I'm going to have to shoot 68 tomorrow to make the cut but I'm playing well enough to do it," said Walton.

Higgins lies in joint 131st place, with Walton joint 91st.