Anna Foster surges at Q-School after superb 65

Ireland’s Anna Foster had an exceptional third day to share third place after three of the five rounds of the final qualifier of Lalla Aicha Q-School.

A top-20 finish would ensure a category 12 membership for next year that would entitle her to play in almost all Ladies European Tour events.

The 23-year-old from Dublin fired the round of the week at Al Maaden with a 65 (-8). She had three birdies on her front nine, and six on the the back, including four in a row from holes 13 to 16.

Foster finished in style with a final birdie on the 18th to sit on 11-under-par on the leaderboard at the 54-hole mark, behind Spain's Blanca Fernandez (67, -13) and Ecuador's Daniela Darquea (68, -12) and level with another Spaniard, Teresa Toscano, who shot 67.

Sara Byrne (70) from Cork and Lurgan’s Anabel Wilson (68) are both also firmly in contention for a top-20 finish as they share 12th place with England's Florentyna Parker.

Canice Screene (76) is tied for 26th and Armagh's Olivia Mehaffey will need a big performance to make the cut as as she is in a share of 109th on six over after a 73.

"I got off to a good start," said Foster. "The only thing I was really trying to do today was play the par-5s well and then anything more would have been a bonus.

"I did well on the par-5s and then my putter was hot today, so I have to thank her for that. I just got on a roll and then the hole just got bigger and bigger as the day went on. A solid round.

"By the fourth birdie [in a row], I was just like this has to stop soon and it did the next hole. It was great to get some momentum, and I really love this golf course, I think it just suits my eye.

"It will just be about trying to bring that momentum into tomorrow now and give myself some confidence and