Qualification cut to one round after English amateur is hit by rain at Alwoodley and Pannal

There were still 112 players in the 288-strong field needing to complete their rounds when the cessation took affect meaning qualification for the match play stage of the championship will now be decided on one round.

The top 32 players and ties from each course will progress to the knockout phase, which will start, as planned, on Wednesday at Alwoodley.

The first round will be completed on Tuesday, with play starting at 9am at both clubs.

Defending champion Nick Marsh, of Huddersfield GC, was one of those who managed to complete his round, returning a steady one-over 72 at Alwoodley.

“Anything around one under, level, one over round here is a good score. If you hit it offline here you can rack up telephone numbers,” he said. “It’s a beautiful golf course and such a good test.”

He is enjoying his defence, with the added pleasure of playing in his home county. “I’ve never defended before, but it’s nice, it feels good and there’s no pressure,” he said.

At Pannal (par 72)

Moortown’s Ben Firth had the lowest Yorkshire score, a three-under-par 69 at Pannal, but no doubt rues a double bogey six at the last having amassed no fewer than six birdies in his previous 17 holes.

His club-mate David Houlding took one shot more, garnering only one birdie fewer than Firth.

Bondhay’s Daniel Wasteney had a 71 with an adventurous outward nine which included three birdies and a double bogey, plus dropped shots at eight and nine.

He had three birdies coming home, but faltered slightly with a shot getting away at 17.

Pike Hills’ Martin Brown carded the same score, with the help of two birdies both going out and coming home.

Middlesbrough’s Elliott Butterworth scored 72, recovering from three consecutive bogeys to open his round by picking up four shots between the fifth and 13th holes.

Hallamshire’s Alex Fitzpatrick carded 73, consecutive birdies at 11 and 12 on his inward run negated by consecutive bogeys at 16 and 17.

Neil Hunter-Smith (Eaglescliffe) shot 74 thanks to a fine inward half of 34 which he began with birdies at 10 and 11, adding two more at 16 and 18.

Lindrick’s Jonathan Thomson had the same score, the highlight of his round an eagle 3 at Pannal’s 488-yard par-5 13th.

His club-mate Richard Hodgkinson, the Sheffield Union captain, was another to shoot 74, with two birdies and double the amount of bogeys.

The draw meant Alwoodley’s Tom Irwin did not have home course advantage for the day and he shot 76, despite carding four birdies, a double bogey 5 at the 15th proving damaging.

York’s Julian Taylor had a 77 (seven bogeys and two birdies) and Rotherham’s Jamie Harrison a 78, this after dropping three shots at the first two holes. His inward half began and finished more pleasingly, with birdies at both.

Moortown’s Paul Snowden was one shot worse, but did well after the debilitating opening of being five over through the first six holes.

His club-mate Matthew East shot 80 having suffered an even worse beginning of a triple bogey followed by a double bogey.

At Alwoodley (par 71)

Defending champion Marsh was two under through five holes, but was back to level after dropped shots at eight and nine.

He got back to one under with a birdie at 11, but had bogeys at 12 and 13 followed by five homeward pars.

His fellow Walker Cup hopeful Dan Brown (Bedale), the Dutch Junior Open title-holder, also shot 72 at Alwoodley. He was one under through 13 holes, but had bogeys at the 14th and last.

Damon Coulson (Fulford) was level par until the 15th, following three birdies and three bogeys, but a double bogey 6 led to a 73.

Hull’s Steve Robins had the same score, also enduring a double bogey at the 15th, and 73 was similarly the outcome for James Walker (The Oaks). He was two under after 12, but was a third Yorkshire player to succumb to a 6 at the 15th, adding to bogeys at 14 and 18.

Bawtry’s Ben Brewster shot 74, with two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey – at the par-3 seventh, not the 15th this time.

Ben Hutchinson (Howley Hall) carded a shot more after coming home in a fine 34 with birdies at 10 and 16 and just the one bogey, at 17.

Leeds Golf Centre’s Nigel Sweet had 75 (two birdies and six bogeys) as did Tankersley Park’s Lewis Hollingworth, who did well considering he had double bogeys at both 12 and 14

David Hague (Malton & Norton) was also round in 75 with the same mixture of birdies and bogeys as Sweet, while Moor Allerton’s Tom Murray will have expected to do better than 75 when level through 12, but he had a double bogey at 15, and singles at 16 and 17.

Silkstone’s Jamie Gibson held to level through one hole more than Murray, but finished with the same overall outcome after dropping four shots in the last five holes.

Moortown’s Phil Tomkinson was one shot higher. He birdied the first two holes, but dropped four in five holes from the fourth.

Matthew Lees (Woolley Park) shot 77, his only birdie of the day coming at the 12th, and Craig Smith (Fulford) 78, he too carding one birdie but also two double bogeys.

Pannal’s Daniel White had 79 as did William Pepper (Fulford), while Cookridge Hall’s Humza Rafique came in with an 81.

Overall

Somerset’s Josh Hilleard (Farrington Park) managed to put some sparkle into the day with a round of seven-under par 65. He was at the head of a string of low scorers at Pannal, where 16 players beat par.

The 20-year-old hit the pin with his second shot on the fourth to set up an eagle and chipped in from just off the green on the 13th for a second.

Among the other low scorers were Alfie Plant (Sundridge Park) and Jake Storey (Alnmouth) who both returned six-under 66 while Rob Burlison (Enville) shot 67.

It was a different story at Alwoodley where just three players were under par, led by Staffordshire’s James Willis (Penn) who scored three-under 68, despite a double bogey on the last.