GOLF BRITISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP:ALAN DUNBAR continued to spearhead the Irish challenge at the 115th British Amateur Championship in Scotland yesterday.
The 20-year-old Rathmore star posted a level par 71 at Muirfield to add to his 68 the previous day at North Berwick for a 139 total and a spot among the top 12 qualifiers for the knock-out phase.
And Dunbar achieved his score despite taking two double bogeys. He suffered bunker trouble at the 13th and 18th which cost him dropped strokes.
But the rest of the round was so good it did not matter and he qualified with four strokes to spare.
“I really played well in both rounds. It is so difficult to qualify and I am just glad I have made it,”said Dunbar, who missed the cut at the recent St Andrews Links Trophy.
Portstewart’s Walker Cup squad member Paul Cutler, the Lytham Trophy winner, returned a one-under-par 70 at Muirfield for a 141 aggregate, but had to produce an inspired inward half to make sure of qualifying.
He was two over par at the turn, but then moved into top gear with birdies at the 11th and 12th with putts of two feet and three feet, and one at the 17th, where he fired a seven-iron into one foot from the pin.
“I am relieved to have qualified because that in itself is difficult,”said Cutler.
Portmarnock’s James Fox pulled out all the stops to fire a splendid 68 at North Berwick to add to his 72 at Muirfield the previous day and bag a spot in the matchplay draw with an aggregate of 140 – two under par.
“I am just happy to get through really,” said Fox, who was the leading Irishman in the Welsh Open strokeplay championship last month.
“You have to play well simply to qualify. I played more aggressively today than yesterday because the North Berwick course was there to be had.”
Fox birdied the second thanks to a sandwedge to less than a foot,three-putted the third to drop a stroke, but then got up and down at the fifth for a birdie and picked up strokes on both the long eighth and ninth by reaching the greens in two on both.
Out in three under 33, the Portmarnock man came home in level par 35.
Cian Curley, recent winner of the East of Ireland championship, scraped through on the 143 mark.
But should have made it more comfortably: he dropped strokes on each of the last three holes at North Berwick to slip to a 73.
Curley admitted to feeling tired on the back nine, but is looking forward to tackling Muirfield in the matchplay.
“I played in the Home Internationals at Muirfield in 2008 and we won them. I have played it a bit and have some good memories.”
Andrew Hogan (22) from Newlands delivered the goods at North Berwick, posting a three-under-par 68 for a total of 143 to secure a berth in the matchplay stages.
It was a sizzling homeward half that secured his place, as he went out in one-over-par 37, having started with a bogey five after failing to get up and down.
On the inward stretch he got a birdie four at the 11th, where he reached the green in two, rolled in putts of 40 and eight feet for birdies at the 14th and 16th, and finished with a birdie when he fired a five-wood shot into eight feet.
Moyola Park’s Luke Lennox carded an excellent 70 at Muirfield, but after a 76 at North Berwick crashed out of the championship.
And Rory Leonard, Robert Cannon, Paul O’Kane, Dara Lernihan and Paul Dunne all bit the dust.
Lancashire’s Tommy Fleetwood,runner-up two years ago and a quarter-finallist last June, led the qualifiers on 135 after a brilliant 65 – two strokes outside the course record – at North Berwick yesterday.
Leading second round scores:
Muirfield and North Berwick, Scotland
135 – Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall) 70 65 137^– James Byrne (Banchory) 68 69, Tom Lewis (Welwyn Garden City) 71 66, Ian Winstanley (Formby) 67 70 138 – Rhys Enoch (Truro) 67 71, Charlie Cossins (Bath) 70 68, Tom Boys (Royal Liverpool) 72 66, Ben Campbell (Nzl) 71 67, Philipp Westermann (Ger) 68 70, Billy Hemstock (Teignmouth) 73 65 139 – Toni Hakula (Fin) 68 71, Kieran Pratt (Aus) 68 71, Alan Dunbar (Rathmore) 68 71, Andrea Pavan (Ita) 70 69, Mu Hu (Chn) 70 69 140 – Chris Paisley (Stocksfield) 69 71, James Fox (Portmarnock) 72 68, Are Friestad (Nor) 68 72, James White (Lundin) 72 68, Nino Bertasio (Ita) 71 69, Henrik Norlander (Swe) 69 71, Peter Baunsoe (Den) 73 67, Matthew Nixon (Ashton-under-Lyne) 70 70, Yuki Usami (Jpn) 72 68, Olivier Rozner (Fra) 77 63, Romain Wattel (Fra) 75 65 141 – Jonathan Bell (Royal Blackheath) 71 70, Andrew Shakespear (Five Lakes) 70 71, Alex Christie (Tyrrells Wood) 69 72, Paul Cutler (Portstewart) 71 70, Rasmus Lykke-Kjeldsen (Den) 70 71, Xavier Feyaerts (Bel) 68 73, Jonathan Hurst (Shaw Hill) 69 72, Matthew Southgate (Thorpe Hall) 75 66, Edouard Espana (Fra) 68 73, Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 67 74, Emilio Cuartero (Spa) 67 74, Stephan Jaeger (Ger) 70 71, Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale) 73 68, Warren Harmston (Wentworth) 70 71, Laurie Canter (Saltford) 68 73, Leo Lespinasse (Fra) 70 71, Clement Berardo (Fra) 70 71, Jin Jeong (Kor) 70 71 142 – Trent Whitekiller (USA) 69 73, Mervin Rocchi (Fra) 69 73, Sebastian MacLean (Bol) 72 70, Alexis Szappanos (Ger) 73 69, Philip McLean (Peterhead) 72 70, Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 74 68, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 71 71, Alex Ching (USA) 69 73, Clement Sordet (Fra) 72 70, Paul Shields (Kirkhill) 70 72, Oliver Farr (Ludlow) 74 68, Michael Buttacavoli (USA) 69 73 143 Tiago Rodrigues (Por) 74 69, Elias Bertheussen (Nor) 73 70, Jose Maria Joia (Por) 70 73, Andrew Hogan (Newlands) 75 68, Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 69 74, Andy Sullivan (Nuneaton) 70 73, Toby Burden (Hayling) 71 72, Patricio Salem (Per) 73 70, Chris Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 71 72, Mattia Miloro (Ita) 70 73, Leonardo Motta (Ita) 74 69, Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 75 68, Cian Curley (Newlands) 70 73, Adam Carson (Long Ashton) 70 73, Morten Orum Madsen (Den) 72 71, Darren Wright (Rowlands Castle) 70 73, Amir Habibi (Rochester Cobham Park) 71 72
Non-qualifiers:144 – Robin Kind (Ned) 73 71, Clement Batut (Fra) 74 70, Alexander Levy (Fra) 70 74, Max Smith (Newbury Racecourse) 74 70, Gunner Wiebe (USA) 75 69, Antoine Schwartz (Fra) 72 72, Frederic Abadie (Fra) 70 74, Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) 73 71, Anders Kristiansen (Nor) 72 72, Ross Kellett (Colville Park) 75 69, Bryden Macpherson (Aus) 72 72, Thomas Shadbolt (Mid-Herts) 73 71, Kalle Samooja (Fin) 77 67, Andreas Hartoe (Den) 72 72, Tom Berry (Wentworth) 72 72, Kevin Reints (Ned) 70 74, Carlos Pigem (Spa) 72 72, Dara Lernihan (Castle) 72 72, Maximilian Kieffer (Ger) 68 76, Tommy Hart (USA) 72 72 145 – Joshua White (Chipstead) 72 73, Steven McEwan (Caprington) 75 70, Gerard Piris (Spa) 72 73, Hugo Dobson (Fynn Valley) 75 70, Pedro Figueiredo (Por) 71 74, Emmanuel Charmat (Fra) 73 72, Sam Claridge (Harpenden Common) 71 74, Robin Wingardh (Swe) 72 73, Ignacio Elvira (Spa) 73 72, Antonio Hortal (Spa) 76 69, Alastair Jones (Radyr) 71 74.
Other Irish non-qualifiers:146 – P O'Kane (Moyola Park) 71 75, L Lennox (Moyola Park) 76 70. 147 – P Dunne (Greystones) 75 72. 150 – R Cannon (Laytown and Bettystown) 70 80. 153 – R Leonard (Banbridge) 74 79.
