British amateur championship at Turnberry

Six Scots make it through

to match-play stages

FROM THE R&A WEBSITE

Young Englishman Sam Hutsby posted a three-under-par total of 139 to become the top qualifier on a wet and windy second day of The Amateur Championship at Turnberry.

The key to Hutsby’s excellent scoring came on the par-5s, which he played in five under par over the course of the two days, a feat which included a complete set of four birdies on the Kintyre course’s long holes during his round of 68 on Monday.

After birdieing the third hole of the Ailsa course during his second round he added another – where else but at the par-5 seventh? – to go two under par for the day.

Turning into the wind, the second half of his round started off with a bogey on the difficult tenth, and added two more at the 16th and 18th. Yet those late bogies were not enough to topple him from the top of the leaderboard.

“I’m really pleased with my game plan.” said Hutsby. “I’ve been trying to keep it out of the fairway bunkers. I don’t mind coming in with long irons, I’ve been striking them really well.”

Scotland’s Calum Macaulay struggled to a 76 in the second round, but after his opening 68 finished on a total of 144 which was good enough to put him fourth – no surprise considering that the weather conditions sent the average score rising above 78.

No greater proof could come of the weather’s impact than Dale Whitnell, who followed his superb opening round with an 81, some 14 shots worse than Monday’s score.

Despite not breaking 80 he qualified for the match play phase in the top half of the draw.

Jesper Kennegard, however, will not be staying in Ayrshire for the rest of the week. He followed his best-of-the-day 66 in round one with an 89 on the Ailsa - a genuine shame given his heroic performance yesterday, during which he suffered so badly with blisters that he played the final six holes in his socks.

Forced by his feet problems to play in flat-soled trainers during today's downpour, he haemorrhaged shots from the start, beginning with a pair of double bogeys, from which he would never recover.

Colin Farquharson writes:

Similar to last week's British women's open amateur championship at North Berwick, the 36-hole medal-play test produced the precise number of 64 qualifiers for the match-play stages - and that doesn't happen very often at either championship.

Zander Culverwell (Dunbar) would not have received many congratulations from his compatriots in the clubhouse when he posted rounds of 72 and 78 for a 36-hole total of 150 and eliminated 17 players on the 151 mark, including six Scots.

The six Scottish qualifiers included Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan), beaten semi-finalist last year, in fourth place on 144, followed by Lewis Kirton (Newmachar), who plays on the US college circuit for the University of Louisville-Kentucky, on 145, Kevin McAlpine (Alyth), Steven McEwan (Caprington), Neil Glen from the Glen club, North Berwick, and Zander Culverwell (Dunbar).

Defending champion Drew Weaver from the United States miss the cut with rounds of 75 and 78.

QUALIFIERS FOR MATCH-PLAY

139 Sam Hutsby (Liphook) 68 71.

140 Jonathan Caldwell (Clandeboye) 69 71.

142 Andrea Pavan (Italy) 68 74.

144 Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) 68 76.

145 Joon Kim (Italy) 69 76, James Gill (NZ) 73 72, Chris Wood (Long Ashton) 70 75, Scott Arnold (Aus) 75 70, Lewis Kirton (Newmachar) 74 74.

146 Jacques Blaauw (SAf) 71 75, Nigel Edwards (Whitchurch) 70 76, Max Glauert (Germany) 72 74, James Frazer (Pennard) 71 75, Jake Amos (Kilworth Springs) 71 75.

147 Jurrian Van Der Vaart (Netherlands) 71 76, Reinier Saxton (Netherlands) 76 71, Federico Colombo (Italy) 76 71, Jacques Guillet (France) 69 78, Matthew Nixon (Ashton-under-Lyne) 73 74, Andrew Hogan (Newlands) 74 73, Ben Westgate (Trevose) 72 75, Adam Mitchell (US) 71 76, Jorge Campillo (Spain) 73 74.

148 Jamie Abbott (Fynn Valley) 70 78, David Corsby (Royal Lytham & St Annes) 70 78, Farren Keenan (Sunningdale) 74 74, David Coupland (Boston) 70 78, David Markle (Canada) 74 74, Lindsay Renolds (Canada) 70 78, Rhein Gibson (Australia) 72 76, Charles Ford (Kirby Muxloe) 70 78, Jason Barnes (Chart Hills) 70 78, Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes) 67 81, David Antonelli (France) 73 75, Derik Ferreira (SAf) 72 76.

149 Ignacio Elvira (Spain) 72 77, Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 74 75, Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin) 75 74, Joe Vickery (Newport) 71 78, Mark Thistleton (Hayling) 75 74, Gareth Shaw (Lurgan) 76 73, Nino Bertasio (Italy) 77 72, Benhamin Hebert (France) 73 76, Tom Prowse (Australia) 69 80, Tommy Fleetwood (Formby) 74 75, Steven McEwan (Caprington) 71 78, Zach Gould (Vale of Glamorgan) 71 78, Neil Henderson (Glen, North Berwick) 70 79.

150 T J Bordeaux (US) 72 78, Joel Stalter (France) 74 76, Andrew Sullivan (Nuneaton) 73 77, Matthew (Coventry) 73 77, Pedro Figueiredo (Portugal) 75 75, Edward Richardson (Rye) 71 79, Chris Paisley (Stocksfield) 72 78, Jonas Blixt (Sweden) 71 79, Zander Culverwall (Dunbar) 72 78, Floris de Vries (Netherlands) 73 77, John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot) 72 78, Bill Rankin(US) 74 76, Tim Stewart (Australia) 73 77, Allen John (Germany) 74 76, Steven Uzell (Hornsea) 70 80, Max Kieffer (Germany) 74 76.

NON-QUALIFIERS INCLUDED:

151 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 71 80, Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 76 75, Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 75 76, Mark Lamb (Haddington) 73 78, Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) 73 78, Scott Henry (Cardross) 70 81.

152 Wallace Booth (Comrie) 76 76, Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw) 74 78, James White (Lundin) 75 77.

153 Ross Kellett (Colville Park) 78 75, Jonathan King (Glasgow) 79 74, Drew Weaver (US) 75 78.

154 Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 76 78, Gary Wolstenholme (Carus Green) 77 77, Paul Betty (Hayston) 76 78, Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 79 75.

155 Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 73 82, Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 78 77, John Gallagher (Swanston New) 76 79.

157 Stephen Speirs (Portpatrick) 76 81.

158 Keir Nicol (Fraserburgh) 82 76.

160 Stephen Clark (Haggs Castle) 74 86, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 79 81.

161 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 76 85, R McKnight (Caprington) 78 83.

162 G Yates (Hilton Park) 80 82.

170 P McKellar (East Renfrewshire) 82 88.

NR Craig Elliot (Carrickvale) 76 -.

Scratched - Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) 78 -.