By Kent Gray
Nick Marsh will be hoping for a quick, albeit it potentially temporary, return to the European Challenge Tour when he takes a two-stroke lead into the final round of the $75,000 Ghala Golf Club Open on Wednesday.

The winner of the third of the MENA Tour’s 10 events earns an invite to the Andalucia – Costa del Sol Match Play (May 17-20) and Marsh has pole position after firing a five-under par 67 in Tuesday’s second round to move to 11-under 133.

Playing just his second MENA Tour event after losing his Challenge Tour card last season, Marsh won’t have it easy punching his ticket to the match play event in Spain however, not with compatriot Max Smith (69) and last week’s Al Zorah Open champion Daniel Gaunt (68) lurking just two back.

“I really don’t remember when was the last time I was leading going into the final round. Must be during my amateur days. But I know I just have to play good golf and take it one shot at a time,” said Marsh who won the 2014 English Amateur a and counts the 2017 Dawson and Sanderson Classic on the EuroPro Tour as his pro highlight thus far.

“I am just going to have the same game plan, same routine, same warm-up tomorrow, and let’s see where that takes us.”

Surrey-based Australian Gaunt, playing just his third competitive event since quitting golf for almost one-and-a-half years, shapes as a real threat to Marsh.

“I am playing well. Almost bogey-free again today except for a three-putt on the 8th, and if I can keep doing the same thing, we might be in with a shot tomorrow,” said Gaunt of his 68 on Tuesday. “My attitude to golf has changed. I am not thinking about technique or things like that when I am playing. I am at a stage where I don’t think about the result. I am just trying to have fun.”

After a Tuesday best 65, Scotland’s Craig Ross is four back of Marsh alongside another Scot, Jack McDonald (70), Frenchman Robin Roussel (68), Canadian Oliver Tubb (69) and England’s Todd Clements (70).

There will be just as much interest in the final round amateur battle within the battle at Ghala after Dubai-based 14-year-old Josh Hill shot a brilliant five-under par 67 on Tuesday to open up a one-stroke lead over England’s Curtis Knipes (70), the current amateur OOM leader. Saudi Arabia’s Saud Al Sharif and England’s Jack Floydd were in third place after identical rounds of 73 and 68 over the first days.

The cut fell at two-over 146 with 54 professionals and nine amateurs making it to the final round of the 54-holer.

Ghala Golf Club Open – LEADING SCORES (After round 2, par-72)
133 – Nick Marsh (ENG) 66-67
135 – Daniel Gaunt (AUS) 67-68, Max Smith (ENG) 66-69
137 – Craig Ross (SCO) 72-65, Robin Roussel (FRA) 69-68, Oliver Tubb (CAN) 68-69, Todd Clements (ENG) 67-70, Jack McDonald (SCO) 67-70
138 – Josh Hill (ENG-Am) 71-67, Oliver Jacobsson (SWE) 70-68, Leonhard Asti (AUT) 69-69, Richard Bland (ENG) 66-72
139 – Pierre Junior Verlaar (NED) 71-68, Curtis Knipes (ENG-Am) 69-70
140 – MG Keyser (RSA) 72-68, Robert Dinwiddie (ENG) 71-69, Antoine Schwartz (FRA) 68-72
141 – Saud Al Sharif (KSA-Am) 73-68, Jack Floydd (ENG-Am) 73-68, Jamie Rutherford (ENG) 71-70
142 – Maarten Bosch (NED) 73-69, Taylor Carter (ENG) 71-71, Gabriel Axell (SWE) 70-72, Jake Ayres (ENG) 71-71143 – Lindsay Renolds (CAN) 75-68, Oscar Henningsson (SWE) 74-69, Andrew Burmester (RSA) 73-70, Jose Rolz (GUA) 72-71, Sam Hobday (ENG) 72-71, Jesper Alm (SWE) 70-73, Victor Riu (FRA) 70-73, Gary Stal (FRA) 70-73, Haiko Dana (GER) 69-74, Henric Sturehed (SWE) 68-75, Daniel Owen (ENG) 68-75