LEADING qualifier Connor McKinney made it through to Friday’s second round of matchplay at the 93rd Boys’ Amateur Championship, at Saunton.
McKinney, the Australian-based Scot, defeated Worthing Golf Club’s Billy Groom 6&4, on the North Devon links.
It was a convincing victory for McKinney, who said it was important to limit mistakes in windy conditions, with birdie opportunities hard to come by on the East Course.
McKinney said: “A 6&4 win is generally good for the confidence so I am looking forward to the next round.
“With this wind you can’t go for too much or miss in the wrong spots so it was a case of hitting into the middle of the greens or even away from flags because the wind was so strong.
“I wasn’t really aggressive today, but I also wasn’t defensive. I only had two birdies and a bogey out there.
“It was just one of those days where there wasn’t a lot of birdies out there and if you made a lot of pars you were going to be close.”
The 17-year-old will now play Southport & Ainsdale’s Matthew Jackman, who claimed a win over Frenchman Charles Larcelet.
Jackman, who was down by three with five holes to play, fought back to take the match to extra holes, eventually winning with a birdie on the 20th.
“I was three down with five to play,” said Jackman. “Before that I was just trying to stay in the match.
“But I started to come alive and wasn’t as scrappy. I fought hard on 17 and 18 to get it back to all-square after being dormie.
“We both parred the 19th hole and then on the 20th hole I ended up making a birdie with Charles making par. It was a big sigh of relief, I couldn’t believe it, I was buzzing.
“It happened to me last year too, I was four down through five in my first match and ended up winning on the last, so this does boost my confidence,” added the teenager from Lancashire.
“I have always had the fight in me so it should be a good match with Connor. I’ll try to play as I have done today, keep grinding away and not let Connor being the highest-ranked qualifier affect me.”
Wales’ Archie Davies, who was tied second in the strokeplay qualifying, reached the second round after forcing Spaniard Alvaro Morales Aparicio into extra holes.
The door opened for the Welsh Amateur Champion on the 18th hole when his opponent missed a five-foot putt.
Davies, who plays out of Carlisle GC, then went on to make a birdie on the 20th hole to seal the win.
He will play Ireland’s Sean Doyle after he also required 20 holes to defeat Spain’s Javier Neira Garcia.
Davies said: “It feels pretty good, it was hard fought. If I am honest, I thought it was game over on 18.
“My opponent had a five-footer to win and then he missed and I won on the 20th, so it was awesome.
“I was pretty nervous on the last putt. I am pleased I got it over with. I always thought I had the edge but it was tricky.
“I think I still have that confidence from the Welsh Amateur win so I hope to keep it going. ”
Having elected to skip the US Amateur Championship to compete in his final R&A Boys Amateur Championship, Florida-based Joseph Pagdin was relieved to advance into the last 32.
After 18 holes the Lake Nona member, who is the highest-ranked player in the field, was all-square with Sweden’s Rasmus Hjelm.
Chipping out of the thick rough on the par-five second, the 20th hole of the match, Pagdin made a clutch up-and-down birdie to keep his name in the hat.
The junior international will now play Surrey’s Harry Crockett, who defeated France’s Nathan Trey on the 19th hole.
Pagdin said: “It was a great battle with Rasmus we had four or five birdies throughout the round, he had one bogey.
“That was one of the toughest matches I have had in a long time.
“I got a bit lucky on the last, I was able to get free relief from an animal hole but I still made birdie.
“I am ranked 30th on the WAGR so I was in the US Amateur. But I took the view that I was here playing the Boys’ Home Internationals for England – and I have been – playing great this summer in matchplay.
“I love this event, the way its run so I wanted to give it my last shot,” Pagdin added.
“I knew I had a good chance to go deep into this tournament and I am going to have many more years to play at the US Amateur.
“I just love coming back here and hopefully I can get it done.”
Frenchman Tom Gueant, who led qualifying after the first round, recorded a convincing 5&4 victory over Delamare Forest’s Oscar Doran.
After a challenging finish on Wednesday, where he dropped six shots in his closing seven holes,Gueant was determined to come out firing in his first round match.
He was five-up after six holes and never looked seriously threatened. Gueant will face Hanbury Manor’s South East Junior Champion Dominic Clemons, who advanced after defeating Italy’s Simone Armando Colozza 5&3.
Gueant said: “I played well on the first nine holes – my driver was still not very good, but I was putting well.
“I was five-up after six holes, right from the beginning I was winning holes and after that I just tried to keep control of myself and my game.
“When the day has been bad, like yesterday, and you have those thoughts in your mind you want to release all of that, and then today it was great.”
Doran’s clubmate James Ashfield fared better winning 6&5 against Czech teenager Krystof Strycek, with Cheshire’s Delamare Forest one of two clubs to have two qualifers in the last 64 – the other was Southport & Ainsdale.
The latter’s George Holland beat Scotland’s Ruben Lindsay to join Jackman in the last 32.
•To follow scores in Friday’s third and fourth rounds click here
