After his heroics in Monday's fourth round at Pals and just surviving to make the cut into the last two rounds of the European Tour Qualifying School finals Philip Walton has still a chance after yesterday's fifth round for one of the 35 tour cards on offer at the end of play today.
Walton dropped a shot at the 11th hole, his second, and in spite of making two birdies before the turn a bogey at the par five 16th meant he had made no headway as he turned for home.
Things improved dramatically with three birdies in a row from the fourth and pars all the way to the last meant that Walton had equalled his best round of the week, a 68, to be on nine under par 348 leaving him four shots adrift of the key 35th place with one day remaining.
"I've been playing well all week, hitting the ball really long," said Walton.
"Yesterday I did great to get in, especially with that triple bogey and I knew that six under was the mark, as they altered the board from five to six as I was putting out at the last."
"I'll be out there going for everything tomorrow. At nine under and just four off the mark right now I'll be giving it a rip for sure."
Meanwhile, Damien McGrane failed to equal his two previous performances of the week over the Emporda course, a 63 and 65, but after a one under par 70 he is still in great shape to regain his card at 18 under par in a five way tie for ninth spot.
The performance of the day came from England's David Dixon who fired a 10 under par 61 to surge through the field from nine to 19 under par to be one shot ahead of McGrane, while Richard McEvoy took over the tournament lead after a back nine of six under par 30 which gave him a 63.
At 24 under par 333 he was two shots clear of Scot Stephen O'Hara and overnight leader Francois DelaMontagne.
"I suppose I have been spurred on by missing out by just one shot here last year," said McEvoy.
"It will be nice to play in the last group tomorrow with Stephen O'Hara, my Walker Cup team-mate," said McEvoy.
"The guys that have had success from that team like Graeme McDowell, Nick Dougherty and Luke Donald have spurred me on to get where they are."
Starting at the 10th, Dixon - 158th in the order of merit - winner of the silver medal as the leading amateur in the 2001 British Open Golf Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes, started his round with four successive birdies.
Three more birdies at the end of his first nine gave him an outward half of 29 and a homeward half of 32, completed the lowest round of the week.
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