Friday, June 08, 2007

REYNOLDS AND SQUIRES IN STRAIGHT FIGHT
FOR ENGLISH SENIOR AMATEUR CROWN

With one round left, the English men’s senior amateur championship at Enville in Staffordshire looks to be a straight fight between senior international team-mates Chris Reynolds and Alan Squires.
Reynolds, 58-year-old captain of Littlestone Golf Club, fired a best-of-the-week 68 and was joined on one-over-par 143 by Squires from Lancashire with a second round 70, both over the Highgate Course.
The pair are five strokes clear of Sam Smale from Royal St George’s in Kent and six ahead of the rest of the field.
Out in the first match on Day 2 at 8.30am, Reynolds’ 68 contained seven birdies, while Squires had four in his 70.
“That’s my best ever return in the 'English' and it would have been better if my five-footer at the last hadn’t horseshoed out,” said Reynolds, who made his international debut in last year‘s senior home internationals at Dunbar.
It was lovely to be out first because you could set an even pace. Also we were round in three-and-three quarter hours.” Despite his high placing, Squires, 58, was not entirely happy with his form. “I played OK but I was fighting a bit with my game,” said the man from Oldham.
“I only hit my driver a couple of times because although this is a good course, it’s pretty tight around here so you have to put the ball in the right places.”
Smale, 61, from Pinner in Middlesex, had a second successive 74, this time over the Highgate, while former champion David Lane went round the Lodge Course in 73 for 149 to lie fourth. Defending champion Doug Arnold is among a large group on 151 after shooting 78 over the Lodge.
“I’ve got a bad back and finishing with a double-bogey 6 didn’t help,” he said. “But I’m not too disappointed as I’ll be there tomorrow.”
Four-time champion Roy Smethurst is also on 151 after a 76 on the Lodge. “I frittered away too many shots and I also took 6 on the last,” he admitted
One of the best recoveries was produced by Kent man Chris Buckley, who shot 72 over the Lodge following a first round 81. His 153 was easily within the cut limit which came at 158 with 66 players surviving for today's final round.
Spare a thought for David Slingsby from Hallowes who experienced a Hamlet moment on the par-3 first hole on the Lodge Course. After hitting his tee shot in a bunker, he then took 13 strokes to escape, eventually finishing with a 16, eventually signing for a 96.
For full and final scores visit the Championships Section of the EGU website, www.englishgolfunion.org

LEADING TWO-ROUND TOTALS
143 Chris Reynolds (Littlestone) 68 75, Alan Squires (Oldham) 70 73.
148 Sam Smale (Royal St Reorge's) 74 74.
149 David Lane (Goring & Streatley) 76 73.
150 John Jermine (Sunningdale) 73 77, Campbell Boal (Broadstone) 74 76, Jonathan Hubbard (Sunningdale) 75 75, Martin McKenna (Elsenham) 76 74.
151 Bob Wallace (Crosland Heath) 72 79, Douglas Arnold (Copthorne) 73 78, Bob Knott (Churston) 73 78, Roy Smethurst (Crewe) 75 78, David Glover (Droitwich) 77 74, Alan Slack (Grange P)ark) 77 74, Howard Moxon (Royoal Cinque Ports) 77 74.
152 Andrew Morrison (Appleby) 77 75, Peter Groocock (Blackmoor) 78 74.
153 Kevin Ballinger (Abu Dhabi) 76 77, Grahgam Steel (Moor Park) 78 75, Gordon Reynolds (Ludlow) 79 74, Chris Buckley (Woodlands Manor) 81 72, Thomas Coughlan (Walmley) 81 72.

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