While Clément Sordet aims to graduate to the European Tour in style with victory at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final on Saturday, others jockeying for their careers further down the field won’t care how they scrape through – just as long as they do.

A day after Sordet aced Al Mouj Golf’s 8th hole en-route to third place, the 25-year-old Frenchman fired a four-under 68 to climb to the summit of the leaderboard with just 18 holes of the European Challenge Tour season to play. They promise to be nervy for most still involved in Muscat where the top 15 earn automatic promotion to the full European Tour in 2018.

Sordet started the week 12th on the money list but will soar to second if he wins Saturday and share in the €60,000 bonus pool.

“I am trying not to think about promotion at all. I have been playing really well over the last three weeks so I am just going to keep doing what I am doing as it has worked really well so far,” he admitted after starting Friday with back-to-back birdies before closing with another gain to move to -13 and leapfrog Finnish teen Oliver Lindell (-12) and Argentine Estanislao Goya (-11).

“Winning would be a really good way to graduate. Hopefully I can get the job done in the final day as I am really excited to start next season on the European Tour.

“Tomorrow is going to be a really interesting day. It will be the biggest day of my career so hopefully I can play well.”

Lindell, who has need a special release from mandatory military service back in Finland, needs a top-two result to earn his card for next week and, undoubtedly, a tricky conversation with his army superiors.

As the European Tour calculates, it will be a nerve jangling day for the likes of Jens Dantorp, who is projected to occupy the 15th and final European Tour spot. The Swede experienced last gasp disappointment in Oman 12 months ago, after a closing bogey scuppered his late charge for a top 15 spot.

Scott Fernandez’s blemish-free third round of 68 has lifted the Spaniard into a share of fourth and he is the most likely man to threaten Dantorp’s place – currently there are fewer than 2,000 points separating them in positions 15 and 16 in the projected rankings.

Here’s the projected standings going into the final round:

Scotsman Bradley Neil was another to lift himself back into contention with a third round 70. After starting the week 16th, Bradley is down to 18th but will come out swinging in more ways than one on Saturday.

Thursday’s front runner Goya was going along nicely till a frustrating double-bogey on the 15^th saw him slip down the leaderboard into third. However, the Argentine remains optimistic. 

“I played really well to be honest,” said Goya after a round of 72. “I had really good opportunities and had really good putts that just didn’t go in. Overall I’m really happy with my round and am enjoying myself.”

The post Sordet soars as Challenge Tour players fight for their careers in Oman appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 29-year-old Argentine signed for a second round 66 at Al Mouj Golf to establish a one shot lead in the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final over Finland’s Oliver Lindell.

Goya, who won the European Tour’s 2009 Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal, started this week eight spots outside the top 15 on the Challenge Tour order-of-merit who earn  ticket to the 2018 European Tour.

He needed something special and has thus far delivered with eight birdies Thursday to go to -11 for the €420,000 season-ender. More importantly, he’s moved to third in the projected standings with just 36 holes of the  season-long Road to Oman to play.

Predicted Rankings after Day Two:

IN ? Lindell and Goya
OUT Dantorp and Sciot-Siegrist pic.twitter.com/oSg3tJBY4f

— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 2, 2017

“You have to play really well to get yourself into the top 15 and I played really well today,” said Goya who won his third Challenge Tour title in Sweden in July.

“I’m in a good position and I still have a chance, so I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it this weekend. Al Mouj Golf is the best course we play on the Challenge Tour. It’s a good test and you have to play well, but if you play well it rewards you. It’s a great challenge for the week and is a brilliant location for our Grand Final.”

Lindell shot a 65, the lowest round of the tournament so far. The 18 year old is 41st in the Road to Oman rankings and in with a slim chance of progressing on to the European Tour in his maiden season at this level. But he’s still trending ahead of his own curve.

“Six years ago we made a plan for me to get into the European Tour by 2022 and I’ve nearly got there much sooner so that’s promising.”

The winning touch?

Scrambling like this has taken @LindellOliver to 9 under par and into a share of the #NBOGrandFinal lead ? pic.twitter.com/hUYqD4b9sS

— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 2, 2017

Frenchman Clement Sordet, who is tied for third with compatriot Thomas Linard, produced the shot of the NBO Golf Classic when he aced the 8th hole.

“I actually didn’t see the ball when it landed but I saw some guys jumping around the green so that was the only way I realised it was in,” Sordet said.

How to take the lead of a golf tournament ?@ClementSordet‘s hole-in-one from the eighth hole, for your viewing pleasure! pic.twitter.com/4OS3xyIrkX

— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) November 2, 2017

Road to Oman leader Tapio Pulkkanen had a day to forget at Al Mouj which is set to host a full European event in February for the first time. The Finnish star shot an 11-over par 83 and is now dead last after Mikael Lundberg retired through injury.

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