REYNOLDS AND SQUIRES BATTLE FOR SENIORS CROWN
 With
one round left, the English Men’s Seniors Amateur Championship
at Enville in Staffordshire looks to be a straight fight between
senior international team-mates Chris Reynolds and Alan Squires
(pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward).
Reynolds, the 58 year old captain of Littlestone Golf Club,
fired a best-of-the-week 68 and was joined on one-over-par
143 by Squires from Lancashire with a second round 70, both
over the Highgate Course.
The pair are five strokes clear of Sam Smale from Royal St
George’s in Kent and six ahead of the rest of the field.
Out in the first match on Day 2 at 8.30am, Reynolds’
68 contained seven birdies, while Squires had four in his
70.
“That’s my best ever return in the English and
it would have been better if my five-footer at the last hadn’t
horseshoed out,” said Reynolds, who made his international
debut in last year‘s Seniors Home Internationals in
Scotland. “It was lovely to be out first because you
could set an even pace. Also we were round in three-and-three
quarter hours.”
Despite his high placing, Squires, 58 (photo courtesy of
Tom Ward), was not entirely happy with his form. “I
played O.K. but I was fighting a bit with my game,”
said the man from Oldham. “I only hit my driver a couple
of times because although this is a good course, it’s
pretty tight around here so you have to put the ball in the
right places.”
Smale, 61, from Pinner in Middlesex, had a second successive
74, this time over the Highgate, while former champion David
Lane went round the Lodge Course in 73 for 149 to lie fourth.
Defending champion Doug Arnold is among a large group on
151 after shooting 78 over the Lodge. “I’ve got
a bad back and finishing with a double-bogey six didn’t
help,” he said. “But I’m not too disappointed
as I’ll be there tomorrow.”
Four-time champion Roy Smethurst is also on 151 after a 76
on the Lodge. “I fritted away too many shots and I also
took six on the last,” he admitted.
Two more internationals are on 151. Bob Knott added a 78
over the Lodge to his opening 73, while Howard Moxon shot
77 on the Highgate.
One of the best recoveries was produced by another Kent man,
Chris Buckley, who shot 72 over the Lodge following a first
round 81.
His 153 was easily within the cut limit which came at 158
with 66 players surviving for tomorrow’s final round.
Spare a thought for David Slingsby from Hallowes who experienced
a Hamlet moment on the par three first hole on the Lodge Course.
After hitting his tee shot in a bunker, he then took 13 strokes
to escape, eventually finishing with a 16, eventually signing
for a 96.
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