CHRIS ROBB TOP SCOTTISH QUALIFIER

NINE SCOTS MAKE IT THROUGH TO 

MATCH-PLAY AT ROYAL PORTRUSH
 
England’s Daniel Brown led the qualifiers after the second stroke-play round of the Amateur Championship today.
There are nine Scots through to the match-play stages at Royal Portrush:
Chris Robb (pictured left) (Meldrum House), Liam Johnston (Dumfries and Co), Grant Forrest (Craigielaw), James Ross (Royal Burgess), Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co), Calum Hill (Tantallon), Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie), Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) and Jamie Savage (Cawder).
And the 2013 Irish champion Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass) is a Stirling University student.
Top seed Daniel Brown made history in 2012 when he became the youngest ever Yorkshire amateur champion and his second-round, 4-under-par 67 at Portstewart gave him an 8-under-par total of 133, the second lowest aggregate total since qualifying was introduced to the Amateur Championship in 1983.
He was one shot outside the record low 132 total of David Horsey in 2007.

The 19-year-old led by a four-stroke margin over countryman Ashton Turner and Italy’s Renato Paratore, the highest ranked player in the field at sixth on the World Amateur Golf Ranking^TM.

Brown, who is a member at Bedale Golf Club, near Catterick, qualified last year at Royal Cinque Ports and Princes but lost in the first round. He is hoping to go much farther this year.
“It would be massive if I were to win this and play in The Open Championship, but I’ll try my best not to think about that,” Brown said.

Paratore will be hoping to go at least two rounds better than his quarter-final appearance last year. He is looking to become only the second Italian winner since Matteo Manassero at Formby in 2009. 

Paratore posted a 4-under-par 66 over Royal Portrush to go with his opening 71 at Portstewart.

Eight Irish players advanced to the knockout stages with Stackstown’s Richard Bridges posting the best Irish score of the second round with a 2-under-par 68 at Portrush. 
The 27-year-old feels at home on Royal Portrush, having played in the North of Ireland amateur championship on several occasions. Bridges qualified last year too, but lost to Paratore in the third round.
“I had great rhythm today,” Bridges said. “I knew when I got on the range that my game was good. I felt really confident. I brought a bit of form with me this week after reaching the semi-finals of the Irish close championship last week.”
Palmer Cup player Brandon Hagy, the world number 22, is one of two Americans through to the match play rounds along with Myles Lewis. 23-year-old Hagy finished joint sixth leading qualifier after a 139 total.
Hagy, who has just graduated from the University of California after three wins in his final college season, is playing links golf for the first time. The highlight of his second round came at Royal Portrush’s 211-yard, par-3, 14^th hole, known as Calamity, when he hit a 5-iron to six feet and holed the birdie putt.

Aside from Paratore, three world top 20 players made it through to the match play stages. 
 Belgium’s Thomas Detry (12), Mario Galiano (13) of Spain and Scotland’s Grant Forrest (17) take their place in the draw. Forrest arrives in Northern Ireland fresh from winning the St Andrews Links Trophy in his last start.

Former Boys’ Amateur Champion Emilio Cuartero also qualified. Cuartero, a student at the University of Missouri, won the Boys Amateur Championship at Royal Porthcawl in 2007.

Southport and Ainsdale’s Sean Towndrow qualified after setting a new course record at Portstewart. Towndrow birdied five of his first nine holes and didn’t drop any shots for a 5-under-par 66.

The cut fell at 4-over-par 145 and 70 players qualified.

The match play stage will get underway at 7.25am tomorrow.  For the draw, scoring and the full list of qualifiers visit championships.randa.org

LEADING MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS  

Par 141

133 Daniel Brown (Bedale) 66 67

137 Ashton Turner (Kenwick Park) 70 67, Renato Paratore (Italy) 71 66

138 Paul Howard (Southport and Ainsdale) 71 67, Hannes Ronneblad (Sweden) 68 70

139 Chris Robb (Meldrum House) 70 69, Brandon Hagy (USA) 69 70.

OTHER SCOTS QUALIFIERS

141 Liam Johnston (Dumfries and Co) 68 73, Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) 73 68 (T16)

143 James Ross (Royal Burgess) 70 73, Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co) 73 70 (T28)

144 Calum Hill (Tantallon) 73 71, Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) 72 72, Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) 72 72 (T35).

145 Jamie Savage (Cawder) 78 67 (T53)

+Players with 145 and better qualified