Frenchman Edouard Espana and Chilean Mark Tullo will go into Saturday’s third round of the Dubai Festival City Challenge Tour Grand Final at Al Badia Golf Club on level pegging six-under par at the top of the leaderboard.
Espana, who came into the tournament in good form having posted three top 10s in his past five outings, was a model of consistency with six birdies, three of which came in the final three holes as he carded a 68.
“My game was solid so I’m really happy to finish with a 68 today,” Espana said. “ It was a really good day.”
Espana, who is 11th on the Challenge Tour Rankings, should finish safely within the top 15 rankings to gain a European Tour card for next season but he said he is taking nothing for granted.
“It’s really good to play two good rounds to start this tournament because I’m not sure of a place in the top 15,” he said.
“I need to stay focused on my game and not think about the rankings.”
No sooner had Espana taken the clubhouse lead than overnight leader Tullo, coming down the last in the group behind, chipped in from a bunker, 30 yards out, for eagle to join him on six-under.
It was a mixed round for Tullo, 36, who also eagled the par five eighth for the second consecutive day as well as making three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey in his round of four-under 70.
“I have to admit it was probably the best finish I’ve had in a while,” said Tullo, who preceded his eagle on 18 with a birdie on 17. “It was a strange day, I played well but the greens got the best of me.”
Tullo is fifth on the Challenge Tour Rankings and can overtake Andrew Johnson at the top of the table if he can see out the win over 72 holes at Al Badia.
“It’s all up for grabs out there, Edouard shot four under and there was a six under out there (Jerome Lando Casanova) so it’s do-able. In my case, I just have to make less mistakes on the greens.
“I’m up there for birdie quite often and the idea tomorrow is to play better on the greens.”
Frenchman Benjamin Herbert had a solid day with a three-under 69 to lie in third place at five under, while Welshman Oliver Farr is in fourth place, one stroke further back.
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