Golf in brief: Byrne faces test of nerve in final round | Beasley marches on into semi-finals | Scots face frosty outlook – in Turkey

The latest news from the golfing world

ASIAN TOUR QUALIFYING: Banchory’s James Byrne put himself under a little pressure for today’s fourth and final round at the Asian Tour Final Qualifying School by going over par for the first time with a three-over 75 in the third round at Springfield Royal GC, Thailand. Byrne, who had opened with rounds of 68 and 69, birdied the long second, long fifth and 15th but six bogeys cancelled out these gains. He goes into the last round in joint 27th place on four-under 212.

Only the leading 40 and ties after 72 holes will gain playing rights for the 2012 Asian Tour. At the moment the players in joint 40th place are on two-under 214 so Byrne cannot afford a repeat 75. The third round cut was set at one-over-par 217 with Simon Dunn, the only other Scot in the field, missing out with a 77 for 220.

JONES-DOHERTY CHALLENGE: Stirling University student Harriet Beasley (Woburn GC), winner of the European universities’ women’s title in Slovenia last autumn, has produced another five-star performance in a foreign land. Beasley is through to the semi-finals of the Jones-Doherty Challenge Cup, the third event on Florida’s January women’s amateur Orange Blossom Tour.

However, the defending champion, 15-year-old Charley Hull, also a member at Woburn, is out. She lost 3 and 2 to 33-year-old American Meghan Stasi, who played in the 2008 Curtis Cup match at St Andrews as Meghan Bolger. Stasi now stands between Beasley and a place in the final. Beasley won a titantic struggle at the 22nd against M Liu, was the second-round conqueror of Scottish girls champion Eilidh Briggs.

EPD TOUR: Turkey’s image as a mid-winter golfing venue has taken a knock in the opening event of the EPD (German PGA) tour over the Gloria New Course Classic at Belek on the Antalya southern coast. The scheduled 54-hole tournament has been cut to two rounds after severe frost delayed the start of play by four hours on Thursday and yesterday. More than 30 players have still to complete their first rounds. Motherwell’s Paul O’Hara is lying joint 22nd after a one-over-par 73. Ellon’s Ross Cameron double-bogeyed the 17th and 18th to finish with a six-over-par 78, which left him sharing 66th place.

lThe Scottish Hydro Challenge will be played at Macdonald Spey Valley, Aviemore from 21-24 June with a prize fund of €220,000. The 2012 European Challenge Tour schedule will have a minimum of 26 events.