British men's mid-amateur championship at Leeds venue

FROM NAIRN TO ALWOODLEY,

AMERICAN SIMSON HOPING

FOR BETTER LUCK

FROM THE R&A WEBSITE

American golfer Paul Simson had plenty to smile about when he strolled into the last 16 of the British mid-amateur championship at Alwoodley, an event for competitors over the age of 25, just a week after he narrowly failed to retain his British seniors' amateur title for players over 55.

The 56-year-old insurance executive from Raleigh in North Carolina, pictured right on the first tee at Nairn, beat Steven Peel from the host club 3 and 1 in the morning, then had a 7 and 6 victory over Nicky Gold from Glasgow club Bonnyton in the afternoon.

“I was six under par when I won with a birdie at the 12th and we hadn’t turned back into the wind,” said Simson, who won the British seniors at Saunton in Devon last year and was fifth at Nairn last weekend.
He had four successive birdies from the second to go four up and although Gold birdied the sixth to cut it back to three, the Scot was only delaying the inevitable as Simson had another string of four birdies from the ninth.

“I had a lot of putts go in, which I’m pleased to see as I struggled a bit last week up at Nairn,” said Simson, who faces fellow American Mark Gaynor in the third round.

If Simson makes it all the way to Sunday’s final he will be running on a tight schedule. “I’m due back home at Pinehurst on Tuesday for the North-South Seniors and I’m the holder so I really should be there,” said Simson.

One of the challenges the American will have to face over the weekend is the John O’Gaunt factor. Leading qualifier Mark Wharton and three times winner John Kemp from the Bedfordshire club are both through to the last 16.

Wharton was taken all the way to the 18th before beating Peter Crowther from Royal Wimbledon by one hole, while Kemp continued on his relentless way, beating Richard Reed from Royal Birkdale 5 and 4.

“I played really solid against Richard and I only had one bogey,” said Kemp. “I lost the first hole to a birdie, then I won the third fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth to be four up at the turn to set up the win.”

Kemp now faces Matthew Cryer, a 32-year-old +3 player from Coventry, who plays the amateur circuit full time.

“I hit a tee shot on the 12th this morning and the whole thing clicked back into place,” said Cryer, who lost in the final of the English amateur this year.
“From that one golf shot I got the feel of my swing, which wasn’t there on the first two days.”

He went on the beat Tom Hawkings of Sunningdale by one hole in the morning and Craig Fort from Nelson 3 and 2 in the afternoon.

Nigel Sweet from nearby Moortown beat fellow Yorkshire county player Andy King by one hole in the second round and now faces Graeme Marchbank from Durham City.

In an all-French second round match Francois Illouz beat Pierre Carpentier by one hole having won in the morning by the same margin against Roger Roper from Wike Ridge when he holed out from a bunker on the 18th .

Illouz reached the semi-final at Southport & Ainsdale last year and the quarter-finals at Muirfield in 2005. He faces Edward Richardson from Rye in the third round.

Anglo-Scot Sandy Twynholm from Morpeth, a one-time Scotland international and beaten finalist in 1998 at Ganton, had to go all the way to the 21st before beating Jonathan Lawrence from nearby Moor Allerton and he next faces the only German in the field Ulrich Schulte.

The Cambrdgeshire connection also has two in the last 16, in county captain Jody Greenall from Elton Furze and his team-mate left-hander Lee Yearn from the Ely City. Greenall beat two Americans, David Bartman 2 and 1 Brian Harris by one hole, while Yearn beat Anthony Hill from Springead Park 3 and 2 and Michael Brown from Pike Hills by two holes.

Steven Hudson became the third American to reach the last 16 when he beat John Sheehy from Wike Ridge one up after being taken all the way to the 20th against fellow American Jay Blumenfeld in the first round.

SECOND ROUND RESULTS

Mark Wharton, John O'Gaunt won by 1 hole.

Peter Crowther, Royal Wimbledon
Tom Woodhouse, East Devon
Paul Moultrie, Troon Portland won by 2 and 1.

Graeme Marchbank, Durham City won by 1 hole.
Ian Barker, Burhill

Nigel Sweet, Moortown won by 1 hole.
Andy King, Garforth

Andrew Hardie, Astbury
Mark Gaynor, USA won by 2 and 1.

Paul Simson, USA won by 7 and 6.

Nicky Gold, Bonnyton
Euan Moir, Hamilton won by 4 and 3.

Matthew Cox, Royal Birkdale

Brian Harris, USA
Jody Greenall, Elton Furze won by 1 hole.

Craig Fort, Nelson
Matthew Cryer, Coventry won by 3 and 2.

Richard Reed, Royal Birkdale
John Kemp, John O'Gaunt won by 5 and 4.

Jonathan Lawrence, Moor Allerton
Sandy Twynholm, Morpeth won at 21st.

Ulrich Schulte, Germany won by 5 and 4.
Giles Legg, Broadstone

Andrew Inglis, Sunningdale Artisans
Edward Richardson, Rye won by 5 and 4.

Pierre Carpentier, France
Francois Illouz, France won by 1 hole.

John Sheeny, Wike Ridge
Steven Hudson, USA won by 1 hole.

Martin Brown, Pike Hills
Lee Yearn, Ely City won by 2 holes.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE MORNING FIRST-ROUND RESULTS