Lindrick's Bailey Gill recovers from illness to go close to title glory in Portugal
Gill was ill on the eve of the tournament and considered withdrawing having been unable to take part during any of the practice days.
However, the England international decided to go ahead and shot a highly respectable one-under-par 71 in the opening round.
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Hide AdStarting at the 10th, he had four birdies, five bogeys and an eagle at the 477-yard par-5 17th.
With his strength returning, Gill carded a five-under 67 on day two.
He had three birdies in an outward two-under-par 34, dropped a shot at 13, but then supplemented birdies at 14 and 15 with an eagle at 17 for the second day in a row.
Day three saw Gill open with consecutive birdies on the way to shooting 68. He turned in 34 despite dropping a shot at the ninth, the first of three strokes given back to par in the space of four holes.
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Hide AdHowever, he more than made amends by eagling the 503-yard 15th and adding birdies at 16 and 17.
Last year he finished seventh in the event and, standing in second place with a round to go and just one shot off the lead, the title itself was a real possibility.
In the final round he was out in 34 for the third day in succession with an almost identical front nine to the third round, the only difference being his third birdie came at hole six rather than seven.
After birdieing holes 10 and 12 he had pulled up into a share of the lead, but a shot on the 14th that stopped just inches out of bound led to Bailey taking a double bogey and with two few holes left to make up the gap on eventual winner, Portuguese Vitor Londot Lopes, who shot 68 68 69 68 to triumph by three.
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Hide AdBut Gill, a former Welsh Open Youths champion and runaway winner of the prestigious Bernard Darwin Salver last year, birdied the final hole to share runner-up spot with Dane Sebastien Friedrichsen (69 71 66 70).
Fulford’s Charlie Thorton tied 32nd (74 73 67 74) and Malton & Norton’s David Hague 53rd (76 71 76 70).