King rules at Carris Trophy
halfway at windy Wallasey

Tommy King shot a level par 72 at a breezy Wallasey which proved good enough to give him the lead on 141 at the halfway stage of the English Under-18 boys' open stroke-play championship for the Carris Trophy.
It was not the lowest one-round return of another eventful day when many of the pre-championship favourites went into overdrive to get themselves back into the race.
King, 18, from Middlesex was a morning starter and set the target before many of his rivals had hit their opening drives. He managed to find four birdies but gave them all back and declared with a nonchalant air:
“I hit some poor iron shots which finished in bunkers, often under the lip. A couple of things could have gone better but I’m not too worried. I’ll just get on with it.”
King, from the Sudbury club, is a stroke ahead of Belgium’s Kevin Hesbois, who returned a second 71 for 142, and two clear of a clutch of players including boy caps Tom Lewis and Norway’s Elias Bertheussen and upcoming talents such as Tom Boys, Jake Shepherd and Rob Gowers.
Lewis, 17, from Hertfordshire, is suffering from a bruised left ankle but he fired a best-of-the-day 68 to put himself in a prime position for the final day’s 36 holes. He eagled the long 14th with a driver, two-iron and 30-foot putt to get to six under for the tournament but bogeys at the last two holes put a slight dampener on the round.
“I’m disappointed with the finish because up until then I was playing well,” said the Welwyn Garden City lad. “But if someone had said I’d be four under for the day I’d have taken it. The course was completely different today. The wind turned around and where we were hitting a nine iron yesterday it was a two iron today.
“I sustained the ankle problem at the European boys' championship in Slovenia but it’s not troubling me too much. If Tiger and Padraig can win with an injury then so can I.”
Shepherd, 17, from Wimbledon, shot 70 as did Hampshire’s Gowers for 143, Shepherd’s round being highlighted by a run of eagle-birdie-birdie from the 13th.
“I’m more than happy to be two shots back,” he said. “I’d rather be there than in the lead at this stage and I hope the wind is stronger tomorrow but back in the direction it was yesterday.” Overnight leader Boys failed to rekindle the fire of his first round, signing for 76 and 143, one under par which leaves him sharing third place.
“It was a different story to yesterday,” he said. “I struggled a bit but I didn’t get any breaks either. I birdied the first but that was my only birdie before 17 frustrating holes including two dropped shots in the last three.
“I felt conditions were much tougher today. The wind is blowing in the opposite direction which is unusual for here. But I’m still within striking distance and there are still two rounds to go.” Colin Walsh from Hampshire, followed up his opening 69 with 75 to drop back to level par but England boy cap Stiggy Hodgson moved in the opposite direction with 70 for 145 and into a challenging position.
The cut came at 149, five over par, with 42 players surviving for the final two rounds. Among those who headed for home were Tom Brown, son of TV commentator and former tour pro Ken Brown, on 151 and boy international Darren Renwick on 152.
England Ι won the Nations Cup, decided over the opening two rounds with the best two cards from three to count. The team of Stiggy Hodgson, Tom Lewis and Jake Shepherd finished on 286, one shot ahead of England II and two strokes clear of Norway and Netherlands I.