DUNCAN STEWART holds a three-stroke lead ahead of a season-decisive final round of the Sweetspot Masters at Hunley Hotel and Golf Club.

The event is the final tournament prior to the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour Championships at Woburn, where only the top 60 on the Order of Merit after Friday's play will be invited to compete.

The top five after Tour Championships are rewarded with Challenge Tour categories for 2013, and Stewart could guarantee his move to European golf's second tier should he become the first player to win two Tour events this summer with victory in the Sweetspot Masters.

Stewart (Grantown on Spey) leads James Maw (Abbeydale) by three strokes after both carded second-round 68s, five under par on the Morgans Course.

Order of Merit leader Stuart Manley (Machynys Peninsula) is third on nine under par. Paul Maddy (Gog Magog) and Will Roebuck (Shirley Parsons Associates) are tied for fourth on eight under par, five strokes off the lead.

A cut to the leading 50 players has now been made. All golfers with a 36-hole score of one-under-par or better will advance to Friday's final round, where the first group tee off at 8am.

Stewart and Maw tee off in the final pairing at 11:46am on Friday.

* Over 300 spectators have already registered for tickets online and everybody is welcome to turn up on the day. Golf fans can take advantage of FREE entry to the Sweetspot Masters at Hunley Hotel and Golf Club. The event is being filmed for a two-hour highlights package to be shown on Sky Sports later in the month.