OPEN DE SAINT OMER RELATED STORIES Open de Saint Omer Preview Round 1: Australians lead at St Omer Open Round 2: Trio top leaderboard at halfway Round 3: Carl Suneson leads by a stroke Round 4: Carl Suneson gains maiden European Tour victory Open de Saint Omer Scores 2007 European Tour Schedule GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Fred Couples to enlist some unusual help Paula Creamer seeking another home town win Jay Haas on brink of another senior money title Justin Leonard looking to break Texas Open record Father & Son event sign up with Sky Sports GREAT GIFTS FOR GOLFERS The Pocket Golf Professional Golf Breaks to Portugal & Ireland Half Price Golf Vouchers The Father & Son Golf Ch'ship Best Value Golf Insurance

Trio top leaderboard at halfway

Australian Peter Fowler birdied the last three holes to move into a three-way tie for the lead after the St Omer Open second round on Friday.

A four-under 67 put Fowler alongside Spain's Carl Suneson (70) and Briton Marcus Higley (70) on five-under 137, one stroke clear of the field.

Fowler, 48, is making his latest attempt to gain full playing rights on the European Tour where he won the 1993 BMW International and fashioned a successful career until a slump left him on the brink of quitting.

The veteran Australian, playing here on a Challenge Tour card, knows victory will earn an exemption on the main circuit next year.

"The reason I'm here is because I'm not getting into the big tournaments any more," Fowler told reporters. "I know the importance of this week."

His two co-leaders have full tour cards but are struggling to keep them, Suneson lying 188th on the money-list and Higley 169th.

Suneson has visited qualifying school 13 times.

"If you don't force the situation you have a chance," he said. "I hope my experience will help me at the weekend."

Suneson's fellow countryman Santiago Luna, Swede Mikael Lundberg and Britain's Stuart Davis shared fourth place on 138.

Frenchman Jean-Francois Remesy, the pre-tournament favourite, missed the cut by a stroke.