Callum Macaulay beaten

at 21st hole at Turnberry

FROM THE R&A TOURNAMENT WEBSITE

Callum Macaulay, Scotland's highest-ranked amateur player and beaten semi-finalist last year, has been knocked out of The Amateur Championship at Turnberry by England's John Carroll after a dramatic sudden death play-off.

Carroll, a 29-year-old from Huyton & Prescot Golf Club, found himself quickly behind after Macaulay birdied the first two holes, and the Scot kept at least a hole or two in front of his opponent until the 16th.

On the 17th, however, Carroll produced a birdie to take the match back to all-square, and followed it up on the next with a par-saving, five-foot putt which took the match to extra time.

Macaulay, picture above by Cal Carson Golf Agency (all rights reserved), drove the ball beautifully on the first two holes of the play-off, but Carroll's recovery play from the rough kept him in the running.

On the 21st hole, however, it looked as if it would all be over: Carroll found a greenside bunker from the middle of the fairway, and with Macaulay safely at the front of the green it looked as if the Scot was destined to win the hole.

But there was one more twist yet to come. Macaulay lagged up to two and a half feet, then watched as Carroll failed to get down in two from the sand. Macaulay found himself with his short putt to win the match, a downhiller with both slope and wind trying to move the ball right-to-left.

The Scottish No. 1 hit it firmly to avoid the break, but watched in vain as it clipped the left edge and ran three feet past. Clearly shaken, Macaulay missed the return to hand his opponent the match.

Carroll, a painter and decorator who is unranked in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, could scarcely believe what he'd seen, but was delighted to be through to the next round. "I'm over the moon," he said.

"Words can't describe it. I feel like I should've won it earlier because I missed a six-foot putt on the 16th, and I had a couple of bunker shots where my ball was in unraked footprints."

This is Carroll's second attempt at the Amateur Championship - he played in 2005 at Birkdale - but he made a point of playing this year since he has previously won at Turnberry. In 2000 he won the David Leadbetter Prospects Tour at the Ailsa course, and on this, his first trip back, he feels he has a real chance."I love match play, so thought I might do okay if I got through the stroke play section," he said.

"Match play is all about playing the man, putting him under pressure. But not like that though - I never thought he'd miss that putt. It was a real get-out-of-jail-free card."

==========================MORNING RESULTS =====================

FIRST ROUND

T J Bordeaux (USA) lost to Jason Barnes (Chart Hills) 4 and 2.

Reinier Saxton (Netherlands) bt Tom Prowse (Australia) 1 hole.

Scott Arnold (Australia) lost to Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes).

Pedro Figueiredo (Portugal) bt Jamie Abbott (Fynn Valley) 1 hole.

Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) lost to John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot) at 21st.

James Frazer (Pennard) bt Ignacio Elvira (Spain) at 19th.

Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) lost to David Markle (Canada) at 19th.

Joe Vickery Newport bt Ben Westgate (Trevose) 1 hole.

Andrew Sullivan Nuneaton bt Nigel Edwards (Whitchurch) at 19th.

Maximilian Kieffer (Germany) bt Bill Rankin (USA) 2 holes.

Steven McEwan (Caprington) bt Jake Amos (Kilworth Springs) 4 and 3.

Rhein Gibson (Australia) lost to Andrew Pavan (Italy) 1 hole.

Jorge Campillo (Spain) bt Gareth Shaw (Lurgan) 3 and 2.

Christopher Paisley (Stocksfield) all square with Chris Wood (Long Ashton) after 20 holes.

Jacques Guillet (France) lost to Tommy Fleetwood (Formby) 5 and 4.

Floris De Vries (Netherlands) lost to Jonathan Caldwell (Clandeboye) 5 and 3.

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Walker Cup player Nigel Edwards almost pulled off a heroic fight back on a morning when four games went to sudden death. Edwards had fought back from four down after seven holes and three down after fifteen before getting back into the match, but his opponent Andrew Sullivan holed a 30ft putt on the first play-off hole to finish things off.