10am Round-Up: Graham Fox two off lead in PGA Pros

Graham Fox is lying joint-third in the PGA Pros' Championship. Picture: Getty Images

The Tartan Tour star shot a third-round 72 for a seven-under-par total to sit joint-third in an exciting title battle in the £78,800 event.

Paul Nessling (Cooden Beach) fired an almost flawless 67 in tricky conditions to join Ireland’s David Higgins at the top of a crowded leaderboard after 54 holes.

Nessling’s five-under-par effort came alongside playing partner, and occasional coach, Andy Raitt from St George’s Hill who had ignited the with a course record equalling 63 in the first round.

The pair traded birdies and Raitt, after a nightmare 77 in the second round, is firmly back in the hunt with his 69 leaving him just two shots off the lead alongside Fox and defending champion Paul Hendriksen (Ivybridge).

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European Tour winner Damien McGrane is one of seven golfers holding a share of the clubhouse lead after a rain-affected day in the Tayto Northern Ireland Open in partnership with Ulster Bank, at Galgorm Castle.

Persistent rain, which started at 4am, forced a delay of six hours with the first groups teeing off at 1.30pm in the afternoon.

Ballymena, where the course is situated, saw an unprecedented level of rainfall with 35mm throughout the day – the average for this time of year is usually 2.1mm.

McGrane shares the lead with Daniel Gaunt, Sam Hutsby, Rory McNamara, Bernd Ritthammer and Ben Stow on six under par after first-round 65s.

On-form Scot Ross Kellett opened with a two-under-par 69.

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Clydeway Golf’s James Steven heads into the final round of the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Lookers Championship at Close House with leader Billy Hemstock in his sights.

Hemstock, who claimed his fourth career HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour title when he shot a record ten-under in the final round of the Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters at Montrose three weeks ago, set his second course record in three weeks, carding an eight-under-par 63.

The Devon golfer tops the leaderboard on ten under, with nearest challenger Steven two back after rounds of 68 and 66 on the par-71 course close to Newcastle.

Clydebank and District’s John Henry is sitting sixth after rounds of 68 and 69.

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Welshman Mark Mouland won the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship at Nailcote Hall by six shots with an 11-under-par total for 36 holes.

Newly-crowned Senior Open champion Paul Broadhurst finished joint-fifth on two-under, one better than Craig Lawrie.