Syme and McDougall top seeds

 for match-play, 11 Scots qualify 
NEWS RELEASE FROM THE RandA

Porthcawl, South Wales: Connor Syme produced some excellent golf in difficult conditions to lead the qualifiers for the match play stage of The 121st Amateur Championship at Royal Porthcawl.

Syme,  pictured left, who reached the semi-final of The Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush in 2014, carded a 3-under-par 68 in strong, gusting winds at Pyle and Kenfig to finish on 6-under-par after the two stroke-play rounds.

Alasdair McDougall finished two shots behind his fellow Scot to secure his place in the match play stage. The overnight leader, Frenchman Antoine Rozner, finished on 2-under-par after posting a five-over-par 76 at the same venue and was tied with England’s Harry Hall.
The cut fell at 5-over-par and 79 players reached the match play stage which gets underway at Royal Porthcawl tomorrow.A total of 11 Scots qualified - C Syme, J Savage, C Ross, L Allan, B Hume, R MacIntyre, C Howie, E Ferguson, C Maclean, G Forrest, A McDougall.
Syme, who won the Australian Amateur Championship in January and was part of the winning Scottish team in the European Amateur Team Championship last year, got off to a good start with a birdie at the 2nd and picked up two further shots on the back nine in a bogey-free round.
McDougall, from Elderslie, mixed three bogeys and five birdies on his way to a 2-under-par round of 69 to reach the match play stage for the first time on his fourth appearance in The Amateur Championship.  
Among the other qualifiers were the Lytham Trophy winner Alfie Plant on 2-over-par and 2015 Scottish Amateur Champion Robert MacIntrye, who finished on level par. Australia’s Cameron Davis, who was joint runner-up in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October, was on the same mark, two shots ahead of his compatriot Travis Smyth, who was the runner-up to Syme in the Australian Amateur Championship.

Grant Forrest, pictured right, beaten finalist in last year’s Amateur Championship, qualified on the 2-over-par mark along with his Walker Cup team mates Ewen Ferguson, on the same score, and Jack Hume, on 4-over-par.
Key quotes:
Connor Syme
“The goal at the start of the week is to try and make the top 64 and the further up the leaderboard you go is a bonus. I felt really comfortable in what I was doing today – a bogey-free round, which was nice in tough conditions so I’m delighted.
“I holed the par putts when I needed to. I didn’t really have any testy putts for par. I chipped it really well. I’m really delighted – bogey free is a bonus. I was trying to qualify for tomorrow.”
Alasdair McDougall
“I kept the ball in play today especially with it being windy. I think that was the key today. I had a good birdie at four and five, which got momentum going.

“The Amateur is the highlight of the year, it’s the biggest tournament, everyone prepares for it and it brings people from all over the world. I’ve played this the last few years (since 2013) and not made the cut – so it’s good to be in there safe and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.”

Antoine Rozner

“Today was really hard. It was a battle from the very beginning and I knew it was going to be like this. I knew no matter what happened I would have to stay calm, because obviously my run from yesterday helped me to stay on top of the leaderboard. I got that eagle on the 9th that really helped me stay with a decent round. And then it was just a battle – I don’t even think I hit bad shots – it was just tough.”

Harry Hall

“I just stayed patient today. After yesterday, I felt really good going into the round. Being in the states the last few months I haven’t really had to use the tool I’ve needed the last few days but just growing up on the links I kind of still had it and it was nice to play in the wind, keep the ball low and stay sensible.

“It gives me a lot of confidence. I think patience is important for qualifying, and especially at the top, you can’t afford to be too relaxed and waste your shots. But I was smart and I was under control.”

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE MATCH-PLAY DRAW

MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS

Royal Porthcawl par 71

Pyle and Kenfig par 71

136 C Syme (Drumoig) 68 68

138 A McDougall (Elderslie) 69 69

140 A Roznier (Fra) 64 76, H Hall (W Cornwall) 71 69.

141 A Wilson (Wynyard) 66 75

142 R MacIntyre (Glenruitten) 69 73, A BEckley (SAf) 73 69, C Davis (Aust) 66 76, C Ross (Kirkhill) 68 74, T Gandy (Isle of Man) 70 72, D Micheluzzi (Aust) 69 73, B Hume (Haggs Castle) 66 76

143 S Gregory (Corhampton) 72 71, P Melching (Ned) 72 71, D Brown (Masham) 71 72, V Van Veen (Ned) 68 75, J Bower (Meltham) 0 73, W Enefer (Wrekin) 74 69, C Maclean (Balmore) 74 69.

144 J Savoie (Can) 71 73, A Matlari (Ger) 72 72, F Donaggio (Ita) 73 71, A Meronk (Pol) 70 74, C Rafferty (Ire) 71 73, W Heffernan (Aust) 71 73, J G-Rasmussen (Den) 71 73, G Forrest (Craigielaw) 67 77, E Ferguson (Bearsden) 71 73, J Savage (Cawder) 73 71, U Coussard (Fra) 72 72, A Plant (Sundridge Park) 71 73, L Allan (Alva) 71 73, T Smith (Aust) 68 76.

145 J Yule (Middleton Hall) 69 76, X Gorospe (Spa) 70 75, J Svensson (Swe) 71 74, P Mazier (Fra) 73 72, L Lipold (Aut) 71 74, J Sainz (Spa) 69 76, T Rosenmueller (Ger) 72 73, G-M Petrozzi (Ita) 74 71, S Mazzoli (Ita) 73 72, B McKenzie (Rowlands Castle) 67 78, A Del Rey (Spa) 75 70, A Nel (SAf) 69 76, L Cianchetti (Ita) 74 71, N Maheut (Fra) 74 71, G Castagnara (Ita) 70 75.

146 D Perry (Aust) 71 75, O Farrell (Evesham) 71 75, J Hume (Naas) 70 76, C Braeunig (Ger) 71 75, P McBride (The Island) 72 74, A Herrman (Ger) 69 77, D Sutton (Walsall) 71 75, B Coletta (Aust) 74 72, B Windred (Aus) 68 78, M Herrman (Ger) 69 77, J Girao (Por) 73 73, R Foley (Swi) 73 73, Y Yuan (China) 70 76, M Iten (Swi) 75 71.

147 D McElroy (Ballymena) 73 74, A Chapman (Eng) 70 77, J Li (Bath) 72 75, M Jordan (Eng) 71 76, S Flanagan (Co Sligo) 73 74, T Harris (Castletown) 69 78, C Howie (Peebles) 73 74, J Thomson (Rotherham) 73 74, J Freiburghaus (Swi) 75 72, V L Lopes (Por) 74 73, F Lacroix (Fra) 70 77, R Caron (Ned) 75 72, M Zapletal (Cze) 75 72, H Ellis (Moon Valley) 71 76, I Cantero (Spa) 75 72, I Saulo (Fin) 73 74, R S-Siegrist (Fra) 73 74.

SCOTTISH NON-QUALIFIERS

149 S Scott (Nairn) 71 78

150 C Hill (Tantallon) 74 76

152 K Godsman (Moray) 75 77, C Fyfe (Cawder) 71 81

153 R Lumsden (Royal Wimbledon) 77 76, L Johnston (Dumfries and Co) 73 80, E Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie) 75 78

155 S Gibson (Southerness) 73 82

MATCH-PLAY DRAW - WEDNESDAY

FIRST ROUND

07.00 M Herrmann v D Sutton

07.04 V L Lopes v H Ellis

07.18 J Harris v B Windred

07.27 M Jordan v I Cantero

07.36 Y Yuan v C Braeunig

07.45 S Flanagan v F Lacroix

07.54 J Thomson v J Freiburghaus

08.03 A Chapman v J Hume

08.17 R S-Siegrist v O Farrell

08.26 M Zapletal v R Foley

08.35 P McBride v J Girao

08.44 D McElroy v B Coletta

08.52 M Iten v C HOWIE

09.02 A Herman  I Saulo

09.11 R Caro v J Li

SECOND ROUND

09.30 C SYME v X Gorospe

09.39 J SAVAGE v G-M Petrozzi

09.48 W Enefer v S Mazzoli

09.57 V Van Veen v N Maheut

10.06 C Davis v J Svensson

10.15 T Smyth v D Perry

10.24 C ROSS v L Lipold

10.33 A Meronk v U Coussaud

10.47 H Hall v L Cinachetti

10.56 L ALLAN V T Rosenmueller

11.05 S Gregory v A Nel

11.14 J Savoie v P Mazier

11.23 A Wilson v A Del Rey

11.32 J G-Rasmussen v B McKenzie

11.41 B HUME v J Sainz

11.50 A Matlari v G Castagnara

12.04 J Yule v A Plant

12.13 D Micheluzzi v Round 1 winner

12.22 W Heffernan v Round 1 winner

12.31 R MACINTYRE v Round 1 winner

12.40 C MACLEAN v Round 1 winner

12.49 P Melching v Round 1 winner

12.58 G FORREST v Round 1 winner

13.07 A Rozner v Round 1 winner

13.21 F Donaggio v Round 1 winner

13.30 T Gandy v Round 1 winner

13.39 C Rafferty v Round 1 winner

13.48 A Beckley v Round 1 winner

13.57 J Bower v Round 1 winner

14.06 D Brown v Round 1 winner

14.15 E FERGUSON v Round 1 winner

14.24 A McDOUGALL V Round 1 winner

AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS TO BE BROADCAST ON SKY SPORTS 4

 Highlights of The 121st Amateur Championship will be broadcast over four days on Sky Sports 4 this week.

The Championship runs until 18 June at Royal Porthcawl and Pyle and Kenfig, Wales and brings together an international field of top amateur golfers from 30 countries.  

A place in the 145^th Open at Royal Troon is available for the winner along with a spot in the 2017 US Open at Erin Hills and, traditionally, an invitation to the Masters Tournament at Augusta.

After today's second stroke-play qualifying round over both courses, the field is cut to 64 and ties and the match-play format finds the champion over the final four days’ play at Royal Porthcawl.

The television coverage, which is presented by Rolex, will air on Sky Sports 4 from Friday 17 June to Sunday 19 June and will include one-hour programmes of the Final and the Semi-Finals and Quarter-Finals as well as 30min highlights programmes of the third and fourth rounds.

The schedule is as follows:                                                               

17 June 2016	01:00	01:30		Highlights
17 June 2016	04:00	04:30		Highlights
17 June 2016	07:30	08:00		Highlights
17 June 2016	11:30	12:00		Highlights
18 June 2016	01:00	02:00		Quarter Final and Semi Final Highlights
18 June 2016	03:00	04:00		Quarter Final and Semi Final Highlights
18 June 2016	07:00	08:00		Quarter Final and Semi Final Highlights
18 June 2016	11:00	12:00		Quarter Final and Semi Final Highlights
19 June 2016	00:00	01:00		Final Round Highlights
19 June 2016	03:00	04:00		Final Round Highlights
19 June 2016	07:00	08:00		Final Round Highlights
19 June 2016	11:00	12:00		Final Round Highlights