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Irish pair battle their way through

British Amateur Championship: Brian McElhinney and Darren Crowe will carry home hopes in the British Amateur Championship after…

Fri Jun 03 2005 - 01:00

British Amateur Championship: Brian McElhinney and Darren Crowe will carry home hopes in the British Amateur Championship after the Irish duo battled into the quarter-finals at Royal Birkdale yesterday.

McElhinney, the Irish champion from North West club in Donegal, overcame Mallow's Mervyn Owens by 4 and 3 in the morning's third round, before securing a last-eight berth with a 19th hole win over English international Jamie Moul in round four.

Dunmurry's Crowe, meanwhile, egged out Kevin Moore of the Isle of Man by two holes in the last 32, before also enjoying a 19th hole victory over Lancashire's David Horsey, runner-up in the English Amateur championship last year.

McElhinney and Crowe confessed they had exceeded their pre-tournament expectations.

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"This is a real bonus for me," said McElhinney, who watched his two-hole lead after 15 evaporate as Moul fashioned birdies at 16 and 17 to force the play-off. "I didn't really expect to get this far. I thought I didn't play that well in my two games today, but it's not a bad thing if I can win matches when I'm not at my best."

Crowe, one down after 15 against Horsey, rolled in a birdie on the 18th green to keep the tie alive and then conjured another birdie at the first extra hole to seal the match.

Crowe will face a stern test in the quarter-finals against Scotland's Lloyd Saltman, winner of the Brabazon and St Andrews Links Trophies in recent weeks. Saltman beat double-Amateur champion Gary Wolstenholme 2 and 1 in round four.

McElhinney faces the former English champion and Lytham Trophy holder Gary Lockerbie.

THIRD ROUND: (Irish scores) Brian McElhinney (North West) bt Mervyn Owens (Mallow) 4 and 3, Darren Crowe (Dunmurry) bt Kevin Moore (Douglas, Isle of Mann) 2 holes.

FOURTH ROUND: McElhinney bt Jamie Moul (Stoke by Nayland) at 19th, Crowe bt David Horsey (Styal) at 19th.

FIFTH ROUND DRAW: 8:15 Nigel Edwards (Whitchurch) v Oliver Fisher (West Essex); 8:30 Gary Lockerbie (Penrith) v Brian McElhinney (North West); 8:45 Lloyd Saltman (Craigielaw) v Darren Crowe (Dunmurry); 9:00 John Gallagher (Swanston) v Bryan Fotheringham (Forres).