Andreas Harto makes birdie, then proposes to girlfriend

Horsey has led since Thursday but he was reined in on Saturday courtesy of three bogeys on the back nine while Australia’s Terry Pilkadaris carded a fine third round 65.

The 30-year-old had led by one shot overnight after an opening eight-under-par 63 and he was immediately into his stride in the second round with a birdie on the first.

Another birdie at the second raised the prospect of a first 59 in the tour’s history but he bogeyed the fifth and then missed an eagle putt at the sixth.

Further down the leaderboard, Scotland’s former Open champion Paul Lawrie was on five under with European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke three under. “I got off to a great start so I was obviously very pleased with that”, he said, but also admitted that he didn’t know that he extended his margin to seven shots.

Tour rookie Farr recovered to shoot 64 after bogeying the 10th, his first. “I’ve been playing nicely recently and I’ve certainly been putting better for about a month now”.

The 30-year-old, chasing a fourth European Tour title, had stretched his lead to seven at one stage before the chasing pack closed in.

But it wasn’t because he had just birdied the par-three hole in his home country in front of a large crowd.

Hoey, who fired four birdies and four bogeys, finished on the cut mark of level par.