BLAKE Windred had trouble sleeping after carding an 81 in the opening round of the British Amateur, but the Charlestown right-hander has turned a negative into a positive and is full of confidence on the eve of the European Amateur in Holland.
Windred will take on a similar field when he tees off at Royal Hague Golf Club near Amsterdam on Wednesday.
Conditions in Holland are not expected to be as brutal as the opening day at Royal Aberdeen, where Windred recorded four double-bogeys on the way to a disastrous 11-over.
“It was some of the toughest, windiest conditions I have played in and, unfortunately, I couldn’t get anything going after a couple of lost balls and unplayables in the pot bunkers,” he said.
Placed 230th of 290 players, Windred produced a stunning second round, firing a four-under 67 to move to seven over and a tie for 77th, missing the cut by one stroke.
“It showed me that nothing is impossible, even if you are seven shots off the cut line after the first round,” Windred said. “I just have to hang in there and follow the process. That’s all I did in the second round – followed the process and had a few bounces that bounced my way. It wasn’t easy to go home and sleep on an 81, but I just looked at it as a test of how many birdies I could make the next day. I am feeling good about my swing. To make seven-from-seven up-and-downs at a course like Royal Aberdeen has fired me with more confidence heading into next week.”
Fellow Hunter product Dylan Perry, who was runner-up last year, had rounds of 75,73 to also finish seven over.
* Jamie Hook has mates who have played in national final of the PGA Professional Championships at Hamilton Island.
It was the reason the Pacific Dunes club pro contested the NSW-ACT qualifier at Castle Hill last week and why he kept going despite a near two-hour rain-delay.
Hook fired a one-under 71 to finish tied with Jonathan Painter before winning a playoff to book a trip to Hamilton Island in November.
“A couple of mates have been up there previously and said ‘you have to go’,” Hook said. “It should be good fun. Out of that event, the top-two qualify for the Australian PGA.”
The top 14 at Castle Hill qualified for the final.
Mark Gilson, Graeme Stockley and Clayton Bridges shot 76 to finish equal 17th and miss qualification by a stroke.
* Toronto’s David Alexander shot a two-under 70 to claim a second straight Horizons Cup on Saturday. Alexander, who leads the Newcastle order of merit, won by three strokes from Ben Hillard. Todd Hillingworth (Horizons) won the handicap event with a nett 72.
* Former Charlestown club champion Brayden Petersen carded a one-over 71 to win the Asquith trainee event at his home course last week. Toronto’s Jye Forrester was one of six players a stroke back.
* The inaugural Sugar Valley Cup will be held on Saturday July 14. The OOM event was scheduled for March 24 but was washed out.
