British men's mid-amateur championship down to last 4

FROM THE R&A WEBSITE

TROON MAN PAUL MOULTRIE KEEPS SCOTS
FLAG FLYING IN ALWOODLEY SEMI-FINALS

The semi-finals of the British men's mid-amateur championship will be played over 18 holes on Sunday at Alwoodley, Leeds between England international Matthew Cryer and Lee Yearn from the Ely City club in Cambridgeshire on the one hand and, on the other, American Paul Simson who faces Scot Paul Moultrie.
The quarter-final between Cryer and former Scotland international Sandy Twynholm from Morpeth looked to be going all Cryer’s way when some scintillating golf saw him move to four up with five to play.
“I played some really good golf for thirteen and a half holes then on the 14th I hit it into a bunker, played a really nice shot out and missed from about three feet and Sandy won with a par. So instead of being dormie four I’m three up with four to play," said Cryer.
“We halved 15th. Then I hit a really bad tee shot at 16 and lost my ball, so I’m now only dormie two with two difficult finishing holes to come, where anything can happen. Fortunately for me, we halved the 17th to clinch it for me,” he added.
Simson, a 56-year-old insurance executive from North Carolina, beat Euan Moir from Hamilton 2 and 1 in his quarter-final while Moultrie, a 42-year-old chartered surveyor from Troon, won a keenly contested fourth round match against Durham City’s Graeme Marchbank with a par at the second extra hole.
Simson recovered from a disastrous start against Moir. “I played the first two holes like I’d never played golf before, so I was two down, but then promptly won the next three to get one up,” said Simson.
“After that we got back to all square a number of times. The key was 14 and 15. I got up and down out of a bunker, making about a seven-footer to stay all square at 14, then at 15 I had casual water in a bunker but elected to play it out of the water rather than drop it and watch it plug.
"I came out to about 15 feet and made it and Euan missed about a 10-footer, which got me one up. It was a good close game all the way round and I’m pleased to be through to the last four.”
Moultrie’match against Marchbank was another close game. “There was never more than one in it on the front nine," said the Ayrshire man. "Then I went two up at the 10th with a concession birdie when Graeme took a 6. He won the next when I missed my par putt from about six feet and the next with a birdie to take us back to all square."
The next four holes were exchanged before Moultrie won at the 20th as Marchbank chipped 15 feet past the flagstick and missed the putt back.
“I’m delighted to make it into the semi-finals. I’ve played in this before but this is the farthest I’ve got by a long way. It must be the caddie,” said Moultrie referring to his 12-year-old son Callum who has been pulling his trolley all week.
The fourth quarter-final between Yearn from Ely City and England international Ed Richardson from Rye also went to the 20th before Yearn, a 36-year-old landscape gardener, won with a birdie 3.
Richardson was never behind until the 20th hole! He was two up on the 17th tee before Yearn sank a 30-footer at that hole to take it down the last. Then Yearn parred the 18th to his opponent’s bogey to move into extra holes.
“I hit it into trouble on the first extra hole like I had done all day," admitted Yearn, "chopped it out into more trouble then chopped it out again to 30 feet and sank it for a half. On the 20th I was again in the long grass off the tee, got it to about five feet and sank it for a winning birdie.”

Results:
QUARTER-FINALS
Paul Moultrie, Troon Portland bt Graeme Marchbank, Durham City at 20th.
Paul Simson, USA bt Euan Moir, Hamilton 2 and 1.
Matthew Cryer, Coventry bt Sandy Twynholm, Morpeth 3 and 1.
Lee Yearn, Ely City bt Edward Richardson, Rye at the 20th.

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