Ireland’s Caolan Rafferty led the way after the stroke play qualifying rounds of the 122nd Amateur Championship held at Royal St George’s and Prince’s in Kent.
The 25 year old carded a ten-under-par 62 to match Kevin McAlpine’s Amateur Championship qualifying score on the Old Course at St Andrews in 2004. Rafferty also broke the course record of 64 at Prince’s set on Monday by Gisli Sveinbergsson.
Rafferty, who finished tied seventh at the Lytham Trophy, eagled the par-five 2nd hole, and reached the turn in six under par, before going on a run of five birdies in six holes from the 10th. A bogey at the last, after finding a bunker, left the Dundalk golfer on ten under par.
“The wind was up today, but everyone knows back home that I love the wind and playing links golf in the wind suits me right down to the ground,” said Rafferty. “It might be a bit of a graft when it comes to getting a score out of it but today I just kept hitting it to ten to 12 feet and I couldn’t miss it. It is nice to know that I am the leading qualifier in this field. The players are the best of the best. They are the closest thing to professionals that we are going to see. To come out on top is always nice.”
Rafferty finished a shot clear of Italy’s Alberto Castagnara. The 20 year old Italian carded a two-under-par 68 to finish on nine under and secure his place in the match play stage, which gets underway at the renowned Sandwich links today (June 21).
Castagnara, who was on the reserve list for the championship, and secured his place following a withdrawal, got off to a good start in calm conditions on the Kent coast with a birdie at the second. He picked up three further shots, including a birdie three on the 17th, with bogeys on the 4th and 15th holes the only blemishes on his card.
One shot further back was English international Harry Ellis. The 21 year old former English Amateur champion produced seven birdies, including three in his last four holes, on his way to a five-under-par 65 at the same venue.
Harrison Endycott, who was part of the winning Australian team in last year’s Eisenhower Trophy at the World Amateur Team Championships in Mexico, carded three birdies on the back nine on his way to a 65 at Royal St George’s and a seven-under-par total, which was later matched by Welshman Evan Griffith.
Endycott’s countryman Zach Murray was among a clutch of players who finished on six under par. including the current European Amateur Champion Luca Cianchetti and his fellow Italian Stefano Mazzoli, who won the title in 2015. Scotland’s Chris Maclean and Swede Oliver Gillberg, were on the same mark.
The cut for the championship fell on one under par, with 77 players qualifying.
For scoring and a full list of qualifiers please visit www.RandA.org.