Alejandro Tosti ended leading stroke play qualifier Caolan Rafferty’s run in The 122nd Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s today after an epic encounter which reached the 25th hole.
The third round of the championship was suspended due to a threat of thunder and lightning on the Kent coast and play was halted for around two hours from 11.57am until 2.10pm.
Tosti, who hails from Argentina, was behind for much of the match to his Irish opponent but showed his gritty determination to recover the deficit and take the match to extra holes. The pair could not be separated until Tosti eventually clinched victory on the 25th.
Tosti faces England’s Charlie Strickland, who earlier disposed of young Australian prospect Min Woo Lee by one hole, in tonight’s delayed fourth round match. Jack Singh Brar and Harry Ellis completed the English contingent in the fourth round. Singh Brar defeated Swiss golfer Perry Cohen by one hole and Ellis was in dominant form as he won 6&5 in his match with American Joshua Seiple.
Singh Brar takes on the only Irishman left in the field, Paul McBride, who booked his place in the last 16 after defeating American Jimmy Stanger by two holes.
Four matches were complete before play was suspended including that between former European Amateur Champion Stefano Mazzoli and England’s Jordan Sundberg. Italian Mazzoli made quick work of the third-round tie, defeating Sundberg 6&5 to set up a fourth round match with Australia’s Zach Murray.
Murray entered the last 16 before the suspension after defeating England’s Daniel O’Loughlin by one hole. Fellow Australian Dylan Perry also made it through edging out Frenchman Frederic Lacroix by one hole.
Finland’s Matias Honkala continued his impressive form in the championship overcoming England’s Tom Sloman by one hole. Monkala is up against Lucas Cianchetti in the fourth round after the Italian defeated his countryman Casper Simberg by 5&4.
In a close match, Scottish internationalist Ryan Lumsden defeated R&A Foundation Scholar Tournament Champion Stuart Grehan by one hole. Lumsden plays Jarle Kaldestad Volden in the fourth round following his 3&2 victory over Harrison Endycott. Volden was joined by his fellow countryman Kritstoffer Ventura after he ended Craig Howie’s challenge on the second extra hole.
Last year’s Amateur Championship finalist Robert MacIntyre completed the fourth-round field when he defeated England’s George Baylis by one hole. MacIntyre takes on Sweden’s Fredrik Nilehn, who won 4&3 in his match against England’s David Langley, for a spot in the quarter-finals.