Southport, England: Australian Joshua Greer and Thai Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat are among five Asia-Pacific representatives through to the match play phase at The 128th Amateur Championship.
Greer progressed after placing fifth in the 36-hole stroke play qualifier at Hillside and Southport & Ainsdale with a nine-under total of 134.
TK was among a group tied for 20th on 138, along with Japan’s Minato Oshima.
Also finishing among the top-64 to book their passage into the match play segment were Australians Jasper Stubbs (tied 31st, 139) and Billy Dowling (tied 40th, 140).
But there was disappointment for 21 other players from the region who were eliminated, including Australian Harrison Crowe.
Greer began his round at Hillside with five birdies in the first six holes. The 22-year-old, who was born in Glasgow, has top-five finishes in three events in Australia in 2023.
“I’m hitting it pretty good, so if I can keep doing that, it makes it a bit easier. I guess whoever putts the best generally wins,” he said.
TK, winner of an Asian Tour title last year, said: “To be honest I’m not on the top of my game at all. But this is links golf, not parkland golf, which is what I’m used to.
“You do not need to hit good shots. You just need to be in the right place. In two days, I only got into one pot bunker, and I’m very happy with that because those are the biggest things in links golf. I’m happy with the patience and how I handled my score.”
Crowe, the reigning Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner, agonisingly missed the cut-off by one stroke after two rounds of 71.
Also packing their bags were Japan’s Shoon Kobayashi (142), Australians Jeffrey Guan and Harry Goakes (both 144) and Quinnton Quinnton Croker (145) and Japan’s Riura Matsui (145).
They were followed by New Zealanders Mako Thompson and Cameron Harlock (both 147), Australians Connor McDade and Adam Brady (both 147) and Kai Komulainen (148), Indian Yuvraj Singh (150), Indonesian Jonathan Hartono (150), Indian Shauyra Bhattacharya (151), Australians Phoenix Campbell and Joseph Buttress (both 151), Indian Milind Soni (154), Australian Abel Eduard (156), Pakistan’s Omar Khalid Hussein (156), Japan’s Ryuta Suzuki (158) and Australian Ali Rachid (159).
South African Ben Van Wyk maintained his overnight advantage to finish as the leading qualifier. On his championship debut, the 22-year-old led 64 players and ties into the match play stages with an 11-under total.
From an international field of 288 players, Van Wyk finished one stroke ahead of a trio of players – Ronan Kleu from Switzerland, England’s Eliot Baker and Richard Teder from Estonia.
The qualifying mark for the leading 64 players and ties fell at two-under-par.
John Gough, last year’s semi-finalist at Royal Lytham & St Annes, and recent St Andrews Links Trophy winner Alex Maguire progressed.
Notable players to miss out included former Walker Cup player Conor Gough and Scottish Men’s Open champion Connor Graham.
The winner of Saturday’s 36-hole Final will secure exemptions into The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool next month, the US Open, and, by tradition, an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament.
