Luke Groves had to settle for a share of 33rd place after he was unable to make positives strides up the leaderboard in the final round of the Alps Tour’s Red Sea Little Venice Open in Egypt.

Having missed the cut at last week’s opening event of the European satellite tour, the Ein Bay Open, the South Oxhey professional scraped into the final 18 holes of the three-round event by a single shot after following up his one-over opening round of 73 with a one-under 71 to sit on level par after 36 holes.

Although the 24-year-old was nine shots off the overnight lead, a good round could have seen him in contention for a top-ten finish.

But those hopes soon faded as Groves made a six on the par four second – a hole he had played in a combined score of three-under in the first two rounds.

That damage was soon repaired by back-to-back birdies on three and four, only for him to slip back to one-over for the tournament with a bogey on the fifth.

A second double bogey six came on the tenth, but once again Groves responded positively to that setback with birdies on 11 and 12.

His tournament was to end in disappointing fashion though, with a third six of the round on the par five 17th as he carded a two-over 74 to finish the tournament on that score.