Mark Power keep Irish hopes of back-to-back British Amateur titles alive

Kilkenny golfer Mark Power kept the hopes of back-to-back Irish winners alive after reaching the quarter-finals of the 125th British Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Power, who is looking to follow in the footsteps of compatriot James Sugrue, beat England's Jack Dyer 2&1 in the third round and then defeated Germany's Marc Hammer by the same score in the last 16.

“James Sugrue won it last year and I play a lot of golf with him,” Power said. “When you see him win it you are kind of jealous when you see him get to play in The Open and The Masters coming up.

“So, to get myself into a position to have a chance at doing the same is massive.”

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Power will face England’s Callan Barrow in the quarter-finals after Barrow knocked out the top-ranked Ben Schmidt in the third round and eased past Switzerland’s Loris Schuepbach in the last 16.

England’s Joe Harvey was the first to reach the last eight after beating compatriot Habebul Islam 5&4 and he will take on Denmark’s Victor H Sidal Svendsen.

Carton House's Marc Boucher went out in the fourth round, losing by one hole to Denmark's Hamish William Brown, while Holywood's Tom McKibbin went out in the third round to England's Barclay Brown.

In the Women’s Amateur Championship, England’s Emily Toy twice needed extra holes to keep her chances of a successful title defence alive at West Lancashire.

Toy birdied the 19th and 20th holes to beat compatriot Chloe Goadby and then recovered from four down after 10 to defeat Lithuania’s Gile Bite Starkute on the 19th.

Toy will face Aline Krauter in the semi-finals after Krauter won an all-German quarter final 4&3 against Paula Schulz-Hanssen, while the second semi-final sees England’s Annabell Fuller take on Italy’s Emile Alba Paltrinieri.

Lisburn's Paula Grant went out in the third round, losing by one hole to England's Caitlin Whitehead.