Playing golf on the Pacific coast of Mexico might sound like a dream existence on a frosty Friday morning in Ireland.

But Waterford's Kevin Phelan finds himself needing one of his best rounds in recent memory to have a chance of winning some kind of status on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica.

Phelan added a two over 74 to rounds of 74 and 73 in the weather-delayed PGA Tour Latinoamérica Mexico Qualifying Tournament at Estrella del Mar Golf & Beach Resort in Mazatlan.

And at five-over-par, he's eight shots outside the top 35 and ties who will be awarded some kind of status on the third-tier circuit for 2018 with 54 players set to complete their third rounds early today.

Scores

American Eric Onesi is one of the players yet to finish, but he remains in front on 16-under par with nine holes to go after play was suspended due to darkness on Thursday evening.

The event is the second of four PGA Tour Latinoamérica Qualifying Tournaments.

The winner at each site will be exempt for the entire 2018 season and not subject to the reshuffle, where players are ranked at various points during the season based on individual performances.

The next 10 finishers at each tournament site will receive exempt status for the first half of the 2018 season an will be subject to the reshuffle for the second half of the season. 

The remaining 24 players and anyone tied for the last qualifying position, will receive conditional status and will be eligible for the reshuffle.

Dublin Cian Curley will tee it up in the Colombia qualifier at Club Los Lagartos in Bogota next week.