Forsyth just one off the lead in PGA Play-offs

Alastair Forsyth has the joint leaders, English duo David Dixon and Matthew Cort, in his sights heading into the final round of the PGA Play-offs in Turkey.

After a second successive 69 over the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club, two-time European Tour winner Forsyth sits just one shot off the pace in the battle for all sorts of prizes.

In addition to a winner’s cheque of £3,500, the top two in the 54-hole event will qualify for the British Masters at Hillside in May, while the first four get into the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next September.

On top of all that, three automatic spots are also up for grabs for next year’s PGA Cup in Texas, where Great Britain and Ireland will be bidding for an historic hat-trick of victories.

Forsyth, attached to Mearns Castle Golf Academy, is in the mix after a solid second-day effort including three birdies and one bogey going out before reeling off nine straight pars coming home.

On a day when Cort moved into a share of the lead on the back of a 66, Greig Hutcheon slipped from a shot off the lead at the start to five off the pace. That followed the Scottish champion running up two triple-bogey 7s on a damaging back nine.

It was a better day for Paul O’hara, the Tartan Tour No 1 for the second year in a row, as he carded an eagle and three birdies in a 69, leaving him three off the lead on twounder, while Graham Fox is alongside Hutcheon on level par after a second 71.

Elsewhere, a PGA Scotland trio consisting of Chris Currie, Ian Graham and Gareth Wright finished tenth as Germany claimed victory in the PGAS of Europe Team Championship at Costa Navarino in Greece.

Erskine professional Currie had a hole-in-one at the fifth as he closed with a five-under 66, with Wright’s 71 being the other score to count as the Tartan Tour team finished on six-over, ten shots behind the Germans.