Digest/European Seniors: Defending champion Des Smyth will go into the final round of the $500,000 (€390,000) Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship one stroke off the lead after a disappointing second round of level-par 72 at Riffa Views, Bahrain.
The joint overnight leader bogeyed the two closing holes to slip into third place at the final event of the European Seniors Tour season, behind John Bland of South Africa and Adan Sowa of Argentina, who are on four-under-par 140 after rounds of 69 and 71 respectively.
Smyth is desperate to complete a memorable year by retaining the Seniors Tour Championship.
"The Ryder Cup in Ireland was an unforgettable experience and I have had a decent year in America, but the one thing that is missing from 2006 is a victory.
"This is my last chance to put that right so it is really frustrating to throw away my lead like I did in the closing two holes," added Smyth, before heading to the range to work on his driving.
QUALIFYING SCHOOL: Waterville's David Higgins got off to a strong start in his quest to reclaim his full European Tour card by firing a level par 72 in his first round of the final stage of the Qualifying School final over the New Course at San Roque, Spain.
It left the Kerry golfer in joint 28th place, though there are five long days of competition to go.
But Philip Walton slipped to a four-over-par 76, and from 104th place has a huge task to get back into contention.
English teenager Oliver Fisher underlined his huge potential with a four-under-par 68 to move into a share of second place, three shots behind Norway's Eirik Tage Johansen who leads on seven under.
The 18-year-old was the youngest player to compete in the Walker Cup.
Fisher was joined on the four-under mark by Finnish rookie Annti Ahokas who marked his first competitive round as a professional in fine style after winning stage two of qualifying as an amateur at Costa Ballena last weekend.
JAPAN TOUR: Sergio Garcia seized a share of the half-way lead at the Taiheiyo Masters with a solid five-under-par 67 in Japan.
Garcia tied Japan's Daisuke Maruyama and Katsumasa Miyamoto at nine-under-par 135, but defending champion Darren Clarke had to scramble simply to make the cut.
Even the dramatic backdrop of a snow-capped Mount Fuji did little to inspire Clarke, who had struggled to an opening 75 on Thursday and will enter the weekend nine strokes adrift.
The cigar-puffing Clarke flirted with disaster after dropping three shots on the front nine but five birdies and an eagle on the 18th gave Clarke a 69 for an even-par 144.
