Fox tops Amateur Championship Qualifying
Friday 11th September 2020
Tom Fox (Tehidy Park) returned to the scene of his 2011 Amateur Championship victory at St Austell and topped the list of 72 players who took part in this years qualifying strokeplay.
Fox returned a five under par first round 64 and then a 72 for a total of 136 (-2) to finish one ahead of Ryan Curtis (Bude & N Cornwall) on 137 (-1). Curtis shot a first round 72 but followed it with a 4 under 65 to be seeded second. Third spot and third seed is Matt Richards (West Cornwall) with rounds of 71 and 67 (level) and fourth was Justin Barnard (also Tehidy Park) with rounds of 71 and 69 for a +2 total of 140.
With just 32 qualifiers going into the matchplay stages the cut off mark became 151 (+13). There were 7 players tied on this score and a play off was necessary to determine the 6 spots available. The seven teed off together up St Austell's first hole and current County Captain Charlie Phillips was the unlucky loser as Alex McHugh, Josh Chapman, Jack Kevern, Max Gay, George Linaker and Paul Suddes progressed into the knockout stages.
With the four seeds placed in the draw the remaining 28 players were drawn at random and produced some intriguing encounters. Six time County Champion Ian Veale (Tehidy Park) faces Jamie Greet (Mullion) and there is a Trevose derby between Mark Grootz and Joe Reynard. Truro's George Champion takes on junior Alec Nile (Carlyon Bay) and former Champion and Seniors Captain Andy Rowe (Looe) faces Curtis. Aaron Stephens (Newquay) will face Simon Hobbs (Bowood Park) while fourth seed Barnard plays against newcomer Luke Hart (Newquay)
The reward for Tom Fox is a 0730 tee time in the matchplay stage versus Alex McHugh in the first of the 16 matches. Winners of morning matches will progress to the afternoon last 16.
The full draw can be viewed here