NEWS FROM ROYAL PORTRUSH

 FIVE SCOTS WIN THEIR OPENING 

TIES IN BRITISH AMATEUR

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R and A

England’s Jordan Smith pulled off an upset in the second round of the Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush today as he defeated highly rated Italian Renato Paratore.

The Bowood Golf Club member knew he was in for a hard challenge before he teed off. At number six on the World Amateur Golf Ranking^TM, Paratore was the highest ranked player in the field. Smith, ranked 63^rd, had already been given a sneak preview of what he was up against but got off to a fast start and held his lead until he dispatched Paratore 3 and 1.

“I got off to a bit of a flier with five birdies in the first nine holes to go four up,” said Smith, a member of the Great Britain and Ireland 2013 Walker Cup team. “I just played steady from there on in. I played for fairways and greens because I didn’t have to do anything special after the front nine.

“I played with him in the qualifying rounds and he was awesome. He putted really well so I knew I was in for a really tough match.”

“I couldn’t believe the length of putts I holed over the front nine. I putted really poorly in qualifying so I was surprised at how well I putted.”

The 21-year-old made his first start in a professional tournament last month when he played in the Lyoness Open on the European Tour. He made the cut in Austria and eventually finished 32^nd.

Scotland’s Bradley Neil was another who arrived in Northern Ireland in good spirits after finishing second in the St Andrews Links Trophy, where he lost a play-off to Grant Forrest over the Old Course.

Neil moved into a four-hole lead after nine holes today against Ireland’s Stuart Grehan. Yet the Blairgowrie man needed to go to the 18th green to secure the win. “That’s a match I never want to play again,” he said.

The 18-year-old from Blairgowrie gave a hole back with a double bogey six at the 10^th hole, lost the 11^th to a birdie and then a wayward drive off the 12^th tee led to him losing the hole to Grehan’s bogey five and his lead was cut to one.

 Neil steadied himself to birdie the next hole and managed to par the last five holes to squeeze into the second round.

Elsewhere, England’s Paul Howard claimed another surprise victory with a two-hole win over Belgium’s Thomas Detry, the current 12^th ranked player on the World Amateur Golf Ranking^TM.

Daniel Brown, who led the 288-man qualifying field with an 8-under-par total of 133, continued his fine form with a 2 and 1 victory over American Myles Lewis to advance to the third round.

Toby Tree had a slightly easier time in reaching the second round than his English international teammate, but still had to concentrate over the closing holes to see off France’s Hubert Tisserand 3 and 1.

Cormac Sharvin continued Northern Irish hopes by defeating Scotland’s Calum Hill. The member of Ardglass Golf Club in Co Down and a student at Stirling University won 2 and 1 to go one round better than 12 months ago when he lost to eventual champion Garrick Porteous in his opening round.

Spain’s Emilio Cuartero won’t follow in the footsteps of Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal and complete the double as Boys Amateur and Amateur Champion. 

The 2007 Boys Amateur Championship winner lost 4 and 3 to Denmark’s Victor Fasmer Henum.

For the results of the later matches please visit championships.randa.org and follow @Randa on Twitter.

SUMMARY OF HOW THE NINE SCOTS IN THE MATCH-PLAY FARED
(five won, four lost) 
James Ross won 4 and 3.
Calum Hill lost 2 and 1.
Bradley Neil won 1 hole.
Jack McDonald lost 4 and 2.
Chris Robb won 3 and 2.
Grant Forrest lost 2 and 1. 
Jamie Savage won 1 hole
Liam Johnston lost 2 and 1.
Connor Syme won 2 and 1.