GB&I Walker Cup ace Barclay Brown finished joint top of qualifying in The Amateur Championship at St Annes Old Links today.
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play qualifier / 7 rounds of matchplay
The Yorkshireman, who is part of the powerful Stanford University college team and has not been seen in major competitions this side of The Atlantic for the past two years, charged to the top of the leaderboard thanks to a brilliant 65 (-7).
He collected eight birdies in the morning but late in the day was joined on seven under by South African Stroke Play champion Jonathan Broomhead, who finished eagle, birdie at St Annes and he will have the number one seeding by virtue of card countback using the last six holes on both courses.
Yesterday was a grind,” said the Hallamshire player, who hadn’t played either venue in a competition before this week. “I didn’t play all that great but made a load of up-and-downs. It was a little easier coming out here today. Fortunately I putted well again.
“At St Annes the rough is not too bad as long as you miss on the right sides. But the drives, if you are going to miss, then you kind of get away with it. And the greens are pretty flat, so then if you can hole some putts there’s definitely a chance to score well.”
The duo finished one clear of Brown’s 2021 Walker Cup team-mate Mark Power. The Irish player, who shot 73 at Lytham yesterday, was seven under for his first 11 holes at St Annes and eventually finished with nine birdies as he posted a 65.
He also missed out on a good chance for an eagle at the last but was delighted to have got the putter working so well.
“I made a lovely little putt for birdie on 11, and confidence was just flowing,” said the 21-year-old from Kilkenny who reached the semi-finals of The Amateur in 2020. He eventually got knocked out by runner-up Joe Harvey.
“It wasn’t even like I felt, wow, I’m seven under. I felt comfortable to keep it going. I just leaked my tee shot right on the par three 13th and made bogey.
“And I played solid golf coming in. I was unlucky on 17. I just caught the face of the green-side bunker and couldn’t make birdie. I also hit it in close on the last. If I made that (for eagle) I could have been maybe tied clubhouse leader.
“But I’ll take where I’m at and I’m pretty happy going into the match play.”
The cut line came at one over with 18 players on that number. It makes for an intriguing first round tomorrow morning (preliminary) with the 30 lowest-ranked players hoping to make it into the second round proper alongside the leading 49.
They include Welsh international Matt Roberts (Royal Porthcawl), who pulled out all the stops to make it in. The recent Welsh Open Stroke Play runner-up birdied two of the last three holes at Lytham.
Also making a late dash for qualification was his compatriot James Ashfield (Delamere Forest), who birdied four of the last five holes at St Annes to make it in by two shots.
Last year’s runner-up Monty Scowsill (Woodbridge) today shot a 67 to finish in a tie for 40th. One shot better off in a tie for 27th was British Boys champion Jack Bigham (Harpenden), 2021 Brabazon champion Sam Bairstow (Hallowes) and his England team-mate Harvey. Calum and older brother Sandy Scott (Nairn) also made it in comfortably alongside England Amateur champion John Gough (Beaconsfield) and his fellow international Olly Huggins (Frilford Heath).
The overnight leader Ludvig Åberg (Sweden) dropped back into a tie for for eighth. The World No 2 followed up his opening 65 with a 73 at Royal Lytham.
For all the scores click here.
To see the preliminary round matchplay (first round) draw click here.