Golf: Morrison feels door is open in South Africa

JAMES MORRISON believes he will have to go even lower with his scoring over the weekend if he is to harbour any hope of challenging for the Africa Open title in East London, South Africa.

The young Englishman, who could so easily have been sitting in the top five heading into today's third round, must instead start from tied-18th in the co-sanctioned European and Sunshine Tour event after dropping three shots in his closing four holes to end on eight under par.

Nonetheless, the golfer from Weybridge still has a chance to push for a first senior career title, with his rounds of 68 and 70 putting him six shots behind leader Trevor Fisher Jr, who sits on 14 under.

He is the second highest placed Briton in the field behind Justin Walters on ten under.

"I'm very happy, things are all kind of going to plan," he said.

"I hit one bad shot but, apart from that, it was a very steady round of golf."

Lothians star Stephen Gallacher missed the cut in what was his first regular European Tour event in almost six months.

After opening with a three-under 70, the former Scottish amateur champion carded a 76 yesterday that included two costly holes, running up a triple-bogey 8 at the third and a double-bogey 6 at the 16th.

Steven O'Hara, on five under, was the only one of the seven Scots in the field to make it into the final two rounds.

Andrew McArthur (four under), Callum Macaulay (three under), Jamie McLeary (two under), Alan McLean (one under) and Peter Whiteford (three over) joined Gallacher in making an early exit.