Waterford golfer Gary Hurley is well placed heading into the final round of DP World Tour Q-school at the Lakes Course in Tarragona in Spain, though he did lose some momentum in the penultimate round of the grueling six-day event
Beginning the day in sixth spot, Hurley followed up his superb 65 on Monday, with a more unspectacular 70 in Round 5, three bogeys - including one at the last - being tossed into the mix, alongside four birdies.
The 30-year-old began in sluggish fashion, dropping strokes on the 2nd and 4th, before racking up four birdies in a hot streak around the turn.
It leaves Hurley in tied-16th on 17-under par, three strokes clear of those hovering just underneath the top-25.
Kinsale's John Murphy is also in with a puncher's chance, though a messy finish on Tuesday undermined him, with a double-bogey on 15 and bogey on 17 scarring what had been a fine card. Murphy registered five birdies otherwise, including one at 18 to recover some of the ground lost over the previous holes.
Heading into the final round, Murphy lies on 11-under par, four strokes outside the top-25.
Hurley and Murphy were the only players left standing after Sunday's cut, Cormac Sharvin, Johnny Caldwell and Paul Dunne all falling the wrong side, posting scores of 3-under, 2-under and even par respectively over the first four days.
The pace is currently being set by Sweden's Simon Forsstrom, who sits serenly atop the standings on 26-under par, guaranteed to earn his card for next season.
