Simon Ward led a host of Irish players into the match play stages of the Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes and St Annes Old Links today.

The County Louth player recorded a a round of 66 at St Annes to add to the 68 he scored at Lytham yesterday to finish alone in fourth spot.

Ward dropped just one shot in 36 holes, when he was plugged in a bunker beside the fifth green at Lytham yesterday, and made today's score with five birdies on the inward nine.

"I was quite pleased with the way I played," said Ward, second place finisher in the East of Ireland Championship this year and member of the Jacques Leglise Trophy team in 2005.

"I hit the ball well, hit 16 greens in regulation and putted solidly."

Irish Close champion Shane Lowry was another to seal his place in the 64-man knock-out format while teenage prodigy Rory McIlroy also made it safely through along with the likes of Jonathon Caldwell, Niall Kearney and Niall Turner.

Meanwhile, two-time champion Gary Wolstenholme made an early exit and then wrote off his chances of playing
in September's Walker Cup.

Wolstenholme, who won the European Mid-Amateur Championship in Switzerland earlier this month, has been a talismanic figure for Great Britain & Ireland in six Walker Cups.

But with the competition for places in this year's 10-man side at Royal County Down fiercer than ever, the 46-year-old admitted his chances of another appearance in the biennial contest with the US are slowly evaporating.

As Wolstenholme departed, another Walker Cup hopeful, David Horsey, underlined his credentials as he cemented his place at the top of the standings.

The 22-year-old, who opened with a course-record equalling seven-under 64 at Royal Lytham, added a four-under 68 at St Annes for an 11-under 132 to claim the number one qualifying spot.