RECORD-BREAKER WINSTONE SHOOTS 64 TO LEAD
 Shane
Winstone,(Picture © Tom Ward) who has already made his
mark in the English Amateur Championship, carded a record
64 at Royal Cinque Ports to lead the first day qualifiers.
The 20 year old from Bristol had nine birdies on his card
to trim two strokes off the previous record which was equalled
by Ben Evans earlier in the day.
“I didn’t know it was a record until I was coming
down the last when a local member told me a par would be enough,”
he said.
“The whole point over the first two days is to qualify
and I’ve just got to go out and do the same tomorrow
when I’m out at 7.30am,” he added. But Royal St
George’s will provide a much stiffer test.
Two years ago when the English visited Bromborough in Cheshire,
Winstone came close to creating a major upset when he took
seed Ross McGowan to the 22nd hole in the last 16.
Unfortunately for the Bristolian, McGowan, last year’s
champion and now a professional on the European Tour, holed
a long putt to win while Winstone missed from a shorter distance.
Sussex-based Evans, who led for several hours, is in sound
form after finishing runner-up in last week’s South
of England Stroke Play Championship and the 20 year old from
Rye extended that at Deal..
His card contained at outward 32 with four birdies and another
at the par-four tenth. His only blemish came with a bogey-five
at the 16th but he hit back with an eagle-three at the next
in an inward 34.
Another international and Walker Cup prospect Jamie Moul
shot 69 at Deal along with Tom Lewis, from Hertfordshire,
winner of the recent Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters, Shaun
Malone from Saffron Walden and Wentworth’s Warren Harmston.
Daniel Willett, runaway winner of last week’s South
of England, also went round in 69.
The records apart, another highlight at Deal was a hole-in-one
by international John Parry, who holed his seven-iron tee
shot at the 152-yard fourth on his way to a fine 70.
Conversely, one of the major surprises was an 82 at Deal
by 2005 champion Paul Waring, which leaves him under pressure
to qualify.
Although Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports are
near neighbours on the Kent coast, they were miles apart in
the challenge they presented and the scores reflected that.
While birdies came thick and fast at Deal, they were less
plentiful at Royal St George’s with its testing par
of 70. Here the best return was two-under-par 68 from England
cap David Horsey.
“You couldn’t get much easier conditions here
but it is still tough,” he said. “You need a lot
of concentration and providing you don’t hit too many
wild shots you should be O.K.”
He had a disappointing start with chances he didn’t
convert but a birdie at the short third got his round underway
and he added two more birdies and just one dropped shot.
“There are a lot of tough holes out there but it is
just about qualifying and it would be nice to qualify number
one as I did in the British,” he added.
Nicky Harris from Manchester, who runs a car valeting service
to fund his golf, returned 69. “I have to be pleased
with that,” he said. “I had four birdies, three
in a row from the sixth, but I don’t want to do what
I did in the Amateur Championship.
“Then I shot two under over the tougher Royal Lytham
course then did four over at St Anne’s Old Links.”
Another England cap, Gary Boyd is on 70 alongside under 21
squad member Adam Wainwright from Lincolnshire and Hertfordshire‘s
Tom Shadbolt.
One thing is guaranteed, Gary Wolstenholme will not claim
the title following his withdrawal with a back injury.
“I tweaked it while practising at Cinque Ports on Saturday
and although I do most things, I can’t make a full swing,”
he said.
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