Melbourne’s Marcus Fraser is well positioned to break into the key top 60 group in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.
The two-times tour winner is in 67th spot after seven events and looking forward to a solid payday to boost his ranking.
The top 60 on the standings will fight out the rich tour-ending championships in Dubai.
Fraser has missed one cut, at the Qatar Masters earlier this year, but burst back with a tie for third at the Indian Open which netted him 62,000 euros and a bag of points.
He then finished in a respectable tie for 25th spot at the Shenzhen Open the following week.
South Australian Wade Ormsby is the other player on the cusp of the leading group, poised at 61st courtesy of a series of four top 12 finishes this season.
Two Australians are already consolidated within the 60 – Andrew Dodt at 30th followed by Queenslander Scott Hend who is 35th.
Hend helped solidify his place with a share of fifth place in the Mauritius Open, the most recent European Tour tournament, at the weekend.
Won by South African George Coetzee in a play-off, the title was the first event to be tri-sanctioned by The European Tour, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour.
Dodt, who won in Thailand this season, shared 20th with a clutch of Australians.
Joining him were Sam Brazel from Lismore, Canberra’s Scott Barr and Victorian Nathan Holman.
For Holman the finish represented his best result since his tie for 11th in the Malaysian Open in February.
On the European Challenge Tour, big-hitting Victorian Todd Sinnott continues to find his feet.
Playing in the Turkish Airlines Challenge, won by Welshman Rhys Davies, Sinnott limped home in 62nd place, let down by a disappointing final round 80.
Former Victorian Open runner-up Matt Stieger, also still struggling abroad, made his first cut on the circuit this year, finishing 70th.
Meanwhile, on the US PGA Tour, Queensland’s John Senden continued his resurgence to be the leading Australian in The Players Championship in Florida.
Senden finished in a tie for eighth at eight under the card behind young American winner Rickie Fowler, who finished 12 under par.
Victoria’s Marc Leishman and Geoff Ogilvy shared 24th place at five under, Leishman boosted by a final round 69.
Adam Scott tied for 38th and Robert Allenby 56th but the biggest shock was the failure of world No.5 Jason Day to make the cut.
Day was eliminated after slumping to a second round 81.
By: Robert Grant