British Amateur Championship match-play

Craig Howie toppled by 64th qualifier at 

Carnoustie but five Scots in last 32

Top seed Craig Howie (Peebles) was sent tumbling out of the British Amateur championship when the match-play stages began over the Carnoustie championship links today.
Former Scottish boys champion Howie was beaten 2 and 1 by the last of the 64 qualifiers, Michele Cea from Italy.
Greig Marchbank (Thornhill) and Craig Ross (Kirkhill) enjoyed better luck.
Marchbank bt Ryan Stovash (United States) 3 and 2 and Ross bt Cameron Davis (Australia) 2 and 1.
The all-Scottish clash of former native champions from Lothians between Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) and Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) proved a one-sided affair with Forrest winning by 6 and 4.
Former British boys champion Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden), winner of the Scottish champion of champions' tournament at Leven and the Craigmillar Park Open in Edinburgh earlier this seasonh, went down by 2 and 1 to Stanford University student David Boote (Walton Heath) by 2 and 1. 
But there were victories for Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten), by one hole over D J Loyput (Australia) and Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), by 6 and 5 over American Frederick Wedel.

SCOTS' RESULTS

FIRST ROUND 
Michele Cea (Italy) bt Craig Howie (Peebles) 2 and 1.
Greig Marchbank (Thornhill) bt Ryan Stovash (USA) 3 and 2.
Craig Ross (Kirkhill) bt Cameron Davis (Australia) 2 and 1. 
Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) bt Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 6 and 4.
Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) bt Frederick Wedel (USA) 6 and 5.
David Boote (Walton Heath) bt Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden) 2 and 1.
Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten) bt D J Loypur (Australia) 1 hole.



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SCOTS AT HOME IN THE WIND
RandA NEWS RELEASE
 Gusting winds greeted the players in the first match-play round of the 120th Amateur Championship at Carnoustie today and the home players demonstrated their mastery of the blustery conditions to record some notable successes.

Scots Greig Marchbank, Craig Ross, Jack McDonald and Robert MacIntyre all achieved good wins against opponents from overseas while Grant Forrest defeated fellow Scot Alexander Culverwell by 6 and 4. 

The University of San Diego student was one-under-par for his round and never behind in the match.

The Scots didn’t have it all their own way, however, and Italy’s Michele Cea won the first match of the day by 2 and 1 against Craig Howie, who was joint leader after the qualifying rounds.

 The Italian was two down at the turn but recovered to win the next three holes. Howie drew level again at the 14th but Cea won the next two holes and halved the 17th to clinch the match.

Welshman David Boote also saw off the challenge of Ewen Ferguson with a 2 and 1 win.

 Boote, who was named in the initial 20-man Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad for the match against the USA at Royal Lytham in September, won the first two holes and led for the remainder of the match before sealing the win with a par at the 17th.

Norway’s Vetle Maroy upset Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, the highest-ranked player in the field at number three in the World Amateur Golf Ranking^TM with a one-hole victory. Kinhult, who won the recent Lytham Trophy, was never behind in the match until the last hole where Maroy calmly holed out from four feet for a par to win the hole and the match.

Two-time European Amateur champion Ashley Chesters defeated Australian Taylor MacDonald 3 and 2. Chesters’ fellow Englishmen Jack Yule and Jimmy Mullen enjoyed wins over Ireland’s Dermot McElroy and Jeremy Gandon of France. 

Ireland's Gavin Moynihan beat Tom Gandy from Rowany by 2 and 1.

Elsewhere, America’s John Oda won with a par at the first extra hole against Jaime Lopez Rivarola from Argentina.

 Germany’s Yannik Paul won by two holes against Spain’s Mario Galiano and, while his brother Jeremy was edged out 2 and 1 by Iceland’s Andri Bjornsson, his compatriot Max Mehles ended the hopes of American Walker Cup player Jordan Niebrugge by 2 and 1.

The final match between New Zealand’s Ryan Chisnall, who was joint leader after the qualifying rounds, and Alejandro Tosti from Argentina went to the 22nd hole with Tosti edging a close match with a birdie 3 to take his place in tomorrow’s second round.

Key quotes

Grant Forrest

“The first round of the match play is always tough because you don’t know what to expect,” said the 21-year-old. “I have played Zander before and I know what he is capable of but he just maybe never had his best day today. I played well and just focused on hitting solid golf shots and keeping the ball in play and I came out on top.”

Michele Cea

“It was a tough match against the winner of the qualifying. I had lots of fun out there.  I started pretty well. I was two up after two holes and then I started making some birdies.  I was one down at the 10th then I made three birdies in five holes and a really good par at 16 which helped me to win the match. I putted very well today and it was a really close match.”

Vetle Maroy

“With four to play I was actually three down. Marcus struggled a little bit on the last few holes and I did actually play a bit on his mistakes.  I made a birdie on 15 which was pretty good because he made a par there and on the last few holes he just didn’t play as well. It’s a tough last four holes and I played them one under so I played pretty well.”

Ashley Chesters

“It was so windy out there I was just making pars which were good enough to wins holes. I putted well and holed a lot of 10 footers which was important at some good times in the match.”

For the full list of results and the draw for tomorrow’s second match play round please visit championships.randa.org.