Photo: Sean Towndrow
Southport’s Sean Towndrow, who lost in the semi-finals last year, reached the quarter-finals of the Amateur Championship at Carnoustie after staging a fightback.
The Southport & Ainsdale player was three down to Poland’s Mateusz Gradecki by the seventh but clawed his way back into the match, winning the 15th and 16th holes to win by one hole.
“I played really well early doors and even though I was three down but I just felt like I needed to stay in there as I knew I still had a chance in the match,” he said.
“I have been drawing on last year a lot. I feel like I have a lot more experience and will just keep grinding and see how I do. Getting the bronze medal last year made it very worthwhile.”
Grant Forrest continued his impressive form with a convincing 4&3 victory over England’s Ashley Chesters.
Forrest, a former Scottish Amateur champion, was four up after five holes against the two-time European Amateur Champion. Birdies on the 10th and 11th holes gave Forrest, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday tomorrow, a decisive lead in the match and he secured a 4&3 win.
France enjoyed an excellent day with four players reaching the Quarter-Finals. Alexandre Daydou held his nerve in a close match against Iceland’s Andri Bjornsson. The Italian International Amateur Champion won four consecutive holes from the 11th to take control of the match and he eased to a 2&1 win to secure his place in the last eight.
Daydou, who is making his third appearance in the Amateur Championship, will be joined by Antoine Rozner, who took a grip of his all-French match against Paul Barjon with birdies on the 12th and the 14th holes and sealed a 3&2 win, and Romain Langasque who defeated Sweden’s Adam Blomme by two holes. Robin Sciot-Siegrist rounded off the day with a 3&2 win in the final match against Alejandro Tosti from Argentina.
The all-Scottish affair between Jack McDonald, the 2012 Amateur Championship semi-finalist, and Glencruitten’s Robert MacIntyre was won 4&3 by the 22-year-old from Kilmarnock (Barassie). Scottish interest in the Quarter-Finals was further boosted by Greig Marchbank’s 2&1 win over Finland’s Miki Kuronen.
Draw for tomorrow’s Quarter-Finals please visit championships.randa.org.
Report By: David Birtill
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