ENGLISH GOLF UNION PRESS RELEASE

CRYER v WILLETT FOR ENGLISH AMATEUR TITLE

Matthew Cryer, from Coventry, will meet Yorkshire’s Daniel Willett in tomorrow’s 36-hole final of the English amateur championship at Royal St George’s, Sandwich.
Cryer, who beat Dale Marmion in the morning quarter finals, ended a successful day by overcoming Shane Winstone in the semis. Having reached the quarter and semi-finals in the past two years, 32-year-old international Cryer will be hoping he can land the major prize this time.
“I’ve been disappointed in the past two years but I’m looking forward to playing in the final of a tournament I’ve always wanted to win,” said Cryer.
“From what I’ve heard, Daniel is playing good, so I‘m expecting a tough match.”
Not that Cryer looked happy over the opening holes against Winstone, who took an early lead and was still one hole ahead after eight. But the Midlander got to grips with the task around the turn and from then on was never really threatened.
He won the ninth and tenth with birdies to go 1up while winning pars at the 12th, 14th and 15th sealed his victory.
“The first six holes were atrocious,” Cryer added. “I was around four over in that spell but three under for the rest.”
Winstone, a Gloucestershire county player, was the surprise of the championship, having shot a record 64 in the qualifying at Royal Cinque Ports and booking a semi-final spot by beating international John Parry on the final green in the morning.
But three destructive shots cost him dear against Cryer and left him with a sour taste in his mouth.
“It’s been a great week for me but I’m very disappointed to lose the way I did,” he said. “I expected to go all the way after my 64 on the first day but I hit a few very bad shots this afternoon which you can’t afford to do.”
Willett, 19, on a golf scholarship at Jacksonville in Florida, is the man in form. He’s won the Yorkshire Championship and the South of England Stroke Play at Walton Heath last week and is seeking to complete the hat-trick after requiring just 29 holes to beat Chris Paisley and James Robinson.
“I got ahead early on against James in the semi-finals and although he came back a bit I was never worried,” said a confident Willett. In fact, Willett birdied the second and third holes to take a grip on the match and although Robinson twice pegged him back, the Yorkshireman pulled away again on each occasion.
The beginning of the end came when Willett went 3-up on the 12th and he wrapped up another productive day on the 15th. “I know of Matt but I’ve never played him before,” added Willett.
“But if I can repeat my form of today it should be good enough although anything can happen over 36 holes.”
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