Paula Grant and Robert Moran lead 10 Irish into matchplay at Amateur championships
Paula Grant in action on the links. Picture: Jenny Matthews - Cashman Photography
Lisburn’s Paula Grant shot a level par 72 to finish a shot behind the leading qualifiers — the English trio of Emily Price, Rosie Belsham and Isabelle Simpson, Italy’s Carolina Melgrati and Denmark’s Amalie Leth-Nissen — in the Women’s Amateur Championship at West Lancashire.
Two-time Senior Amateur champion Laura Webb of East Berkshire also made the top 64 who qualified for today’s matchplay stages.
The former Cairndhu star Webb (the oldest player in the field at 57) matched Clandeboye’s Jessica Ross with a 75 to make it alongside Massereene’s Beth Coulter, who carded a 76, as Knock’s Katie Poots and Castletroy’s Chloe Ryan missed out following respective rounds of 82 and 86.
Qualifying was also reduced to just 18 holes in the Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale following the cancellation on Monday’s first-round due to inclement weather.
Amateur Championship qualifying results | Matchplay Draw
Women’s Amateur qualifying results | Matchplay Draw
Scot Ruben Lindsay shot a four-under 67 to top the qualifiers as the cut for the top 64 and ties fell at five-over-par with Castle’s Robert Moran (72), Kilkenny’s Mark Power (73), Holywood’s Tom McKibbin (74), Carton House’s Marc Boucher (74), Hermitage’s Rowan Lester (76) and Malone’s Matthew McClean (76) all safely through.
As 68 players qualified, Lester and Nicola Gerhardsen of Switzerland progressed to round two of the matchplay after a card countback
Leading qualifier Lindsay (16) was delighted with his round which was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 15th hole and included birdies at the 1st, 6th, 9th, and 17th holes.
A closing bogey on 18, just his second of the day, did little to dampen the Scottish Boys’ Amateur champion’s spirits as he looks forward to the match play stage of the Championship.
England’s Mason Essam relished his opportunity to play the links which has been graced by some of the game’s best. The 21-year-old recorded a three-under-par 68 which featured an eagle at the par-5 17th which was reminiscent of two-time Champion Golfer of the Year, Padraig Harrington’s memorable approach shot into the 71st hole of The 137th Open.
Fellow Englishman, Sam Broadhurst, recovered from a triple bogey on the par-4 3rd hole with a birdie at the 4th hole followed by an eagle at the par-5 6th hole. Dropped shots at the 9th and 10th holes did little to stop the 23-year-old who steadied with a birdie at the 11th before adding a further three to his card in the final four holes of the round. He claimed joint third place on the leaderboard on two-under-par 68 alongside Benjamin Schmidt.
The top-ranked player in the field, Schmidt opened his round with a birdie at the first before making the turn at two-under-par. The 18-year-old overcame bogeys at the 11th and 14th holes with birdies at holes 15 and 17 to safely progress to the match play stage of the Championship.
England’s Jack Dyer rounds out the top-5 qualifiers after recording a one-under-par 70 whilst his compatriot Barclay Brown finished at level-par alongside Frederik Kjettrup of Denmark and Filippo Celli of Italy.
It is only the fourth time The Amateur Championship has been hosted at Royal Birkdale following the previous stagings in 1946, 1989 and 2005.
With the match play stage starting from today through to Sunday’s 36-hole final, there is much at stake as the winner gains an exemption into The 149th Open at Royal St George’s next July and, by tradition, an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament and an exemption to the US Open.