Niall Kearney fired seven birdies in a superb, six under 65 to clinch his place in the final group at the weather-reduced Challenge de Catalunya in Tarragona.

The former Walker Cup star, 26, had seven birdies and just one bogey on his card to go into the final round at Lumine Golf & Beach Club in five-way tie for third, just three shots behind Spain's Antonio Hortal.

Hortal shot a course record-equalling 63 in an event reduced to 54 holes after day two was all but wiped out by strong winds.

He leads by a shot on 11 under par from American Connor Arendell but Dubliner Kearney, who recently signed up with new Irish management group Big Meadow Sports (with Colm Moriarty heavily involved) is on track for his maiden Challenge Tour victory.

Tied for 46th after an opening 69, the Raheny man birdied the second, fourth and sixth to turn in 32 and then picked up shots at the 10th and 11th to scorch up the leaderboard.

Bogeys at the 12th was only a momentary inconvenience and birdie twos at both the 14th and 16th clinched his place in the final threeball with Hortal and Arendell.

Rathmore's Alan Dunbar is also lurking, five shots off the pace in joint 12th on six under after a 70.

The rest of the Irish missed the one under par cut with Ruadhiri McGee the most disappointed as he followed his 66 with a 76 to miss out by one.

McGee got off to a nightmare start with a triple bogey seven at the 10th, his opening hole, and a bogey at the 11th and dropped further shots at the 16th and 17th to go six over.

Birdies at the par-five 18th and second holes gave him hope but he bogeyed the ninth to miss out.

Waterville's David Higgins also missed the cut, finishing three shots outside the mark on two over after a 76 with Lurgan's Gareth Shaw well off the pace on seven over after rounds of 73 and 76.

With more gusty conditions forecast for Sunday, the event was reduced to a 54 hole contest for the second time in three years.

Challenge de Catalunya, after 36 of 54 holes

131 A Hortal  (Esp) 68 63,

132 C Arendell (USA) 65 67,

134 C Bouniol (Fra) 66 68, A Saddier (Fra) 64 70, N Kearney (Irl) 69 65, J Lando Casanova  (Fra) 66 68, C Shinkwin (Eng) 66 68,

135 L Gagli  (Ita) 68 67, L Jensen (Den) 68 67, B An (Kor) 67 68, N Kimsey (Eng) 69 66,

136 A Dunbar (Nir) 66 70, P Archer (Eng) 70 66,

137 R Kind (Ned) 65 72, A Marshall (Eng) 68 69, J Bragulat  (Esp) 68 69, C Mivis  (Bel) 68 69, A Johnston (Eng) 68 69, L Nemecz (Aut) 68 69, J Gonnet  (Fra) 70 67, S Wakefield (Eng) 67 70, M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) 68 69, E Espana (Fra) 66 71,

138 J Sarasti  (Esp) 69 69, P Figueiredo  (Por) 69 69, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 70 68, D Brooks (Eng) 69 69, M Korhonen (Fin) 70 68, J Pastor (Esp) 66 72, M Ford (Eng) 68 70, M Lafeber (Ned) 66 72,

139 P Edberg (Swe) 68 71, O Wilson (Eng) 72 67, S Arnold  (Aus) 68 71, N Ravano (Ita) 67 72, J Dantorp (Swe) 68 71, J Doherty  (Sco) 70 69, D Gaunt (Eng) 69 70, J Sjöholm (Swe) 67 72, J Mikkelsen (Nor) 63 76, B Evans  (Eng) 68 71, E Johansen  (Nor) 67 72,

140 N Lemke (Swe) 67 73, B Hebert  (Fra) 68 72, S Henry  (Sco) 69 71, B Åkesson (Swe) 67 73, P Maddy (Eng) 69 71, R Davies (Wal) 70 70, C Lloyd (Eng) 68 72, P Oriol (Esp) 68 72, F Bergamaschi (Ita) 70 70, J Lagergren (Swe) 69 71, C Macaulay  (Sco) 71 69,

141 S Hutsby  (Eng) 72 69, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 70 71, P Widegren  (Swe) 67 74, J Barnes (Eng) 71 70, J Palmer (Eng) 74 67, C Aguilar  (Esp) 70 71, K Benz (Sui) 68 73, A Tadini (Ita) 68 73, W Besseling  (Ned) 68 73, T Van Der Walt (RSA) 71 70, D Kemmer (USA) 70 71, D Law (Sco) 71 70

CUT

142 R McGee (Irl) 66 76,

144 D Higgins (Irl) 68 76,

149 G Shaw (Nir) 73 76