LAKE Nona’s Joseph Pagdin – the highest-ranked player in the field – was one of the big name to tumble out of the The R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship at Saunton.
The Florida-based England junior international went head- to-head in a tight tussle on the North Devon links with good friend and England team-mate Barclay Brown.
Yorkshire teenager Brown (pictured) held a sight advantage for most of the match and was two up after 16 holes on the East Course.
Pagdin got a hole back with a birdie on the 17th but conceded the 18th after he was unable to recover from a wayward tee shot that found the right rough.
Brown, a member at Hallamshire GC – the same Sheffield club where Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick are members – recorded a two-hole victory to advance.
Brown, last year’s Daily Telegraph Junior Champion, said: “Joe is my England foursomes partner so we play together all the time.
“It was good to play against each other. It’s certainly one of those tournaments where you don’t know when you are going to be going home so its nice to still be here.”
Italy ’s Matteo Cristioni eliminated top qualifier Connor McKinney from in another hard-fought battle.
While Cristoni was one up for most of the match a clutch birdie on the 17th hole from Scot McKinney saw the pair square heading to the 18th.
The sole Italian left in the championship claimed the win with a par that his opponent was unable to match whilst his teammates celebrated greenside.
Cristioni said: “I played very, very well all 18 holes. Connor is a very good player and he made a birdie on 17 so we were we tied on 18.
“But I knew I could do it and with a par I won the match. It was beautiful to have all my friends there watching on 18.”
Ireland’s Max Kennedy booked his place in the quarter finals, against Cristoni, in convincing fashion defeating Norway’s Bård Bjørnevik Skogen 6&4, the biggest winning margin of the final eight matches.
Kenneday said: “I played the Boys Home Internationals last week and won five out of six of my matches, which was also quite good.
“So my matchplay form is pretty good. It would be nice to keep going and hopefully get the win.”
Frenchman Tom Gueant conceded the first hole to open his match again Kevin Jegers, from Estonia.
The pair were quickly all-square after a bogey from Jegers on the third hole.
That was followed by another on the sixth providing Gueant with an advantage he maintained for the remainder of the match, which he went onto win by two.
Gueant, who has looked a class act all week said: “I was two-up on 12 and he made a great birdie so I was one-up after that.
“Then I eagled 15 to go back to two-up but unfortunately I made a bogey on the 17th and he gave me the 18th so it was a good battle at the end.
“The weather really tested me, but I feel like I did great. I just tried to play golf and have fun.”
Gueant will now take on England’s George Holland, who earned his quarter-final berth the hard way after his match with Welsh Amateur Champion Archie Davies went to the 21st hole.
Through the turn, Holland held a five-up lead over Davies who mounted a back-nine response to square the match after 14 holes and go one-up after the 15th.
A further bogey on the 16th saw Davies, who is a member at Carlisle GC, quickly give up the advantage and another on the 21st hole handed Holland the victory.
Holland, a membe at Southport & Ainsdale, said: “It was amazing and I still can’t believe I won.
“I thought my chest was going to explode and I was going to have a heart attack but I played well in the extra holes.
“I was five-up and then he (Davies) started winning a couple and I started to get a bit nervy – but I fought back and I am pleased.”
England will have four quarter-finalists in total with Kent’s Jacob Kelso and Torquay’s Craig Passmore joining Brown and Holland.
Kelso defeated Sussex’s Oliver Dickman 4&3, while Passmore ended Portugal’s hopes by winning on the 19th against Daniel Costa Rodrigues.
Sweden’s Wilmer Ederö secured his spot in the last eight with a 3&1 victory over the Welsh hope James Ashfield, from Cheshire’s Delamere Forest.
•For full results and scoring visit www.Randa.org
