Second seeds fall at the first in Elite Foursomes
Experience told on the first evening of knockout matches in the Guernsey Press Elite Men’s Foursomes Championship yesterday.
Although the youthful top seeds and defending champions Rory and Conor McKenna eased into the quarter-finals, their fellow teenagers Alex Mills and Tanner Austin were unable to replicate their excellent form from Sunday’s qualifier when it came to the head-to-head format.
In fairness, the junior combination were up against two of the best players in the island in Danny Bisson and Tom Pattimore who, although they only just scraped through to the knockout stages, will surely pose a big threat to any other pairing left in the competition.
They sealed their first round victory at the 15th having always held the upper-hand in their match and now they will face another youngster in James Troop and his partner Ben Hibbins.
The latter duo were involved in the longest match of the evening which finished in near darkness on the 20th green after they staged a fightback to take Daniel Griggs and Harry Bushby down extra holes.
Third seeds from qualifying Danny Blondel and Tom Le Huray will face Wayne Harwood and Tim Halden in the other quarter-final in the bottom half of the draw.
In the top half, the McKenna brothers will meet Roland Mills and Andy Chamberlain, who were an impressive one under par for their 14 holes yesterday, in their last-eight tie.
The other quarter-final pits last year’s runners-up Jamie Blondel and Steve Mahy against Wasif Anees and Chris Walker, who overcame losing the opening three holes to defeat Jayden Tucknott and Jason Savident.
Guernsey Press Elite Men’s Foursomes Championship
First round results
C McKenna, R McKenna beat Chedhomme, Marshall 6 & 4; R Mills, Chamberlain beat Nicolle, Robinson 5 & 4; Anees, Walker beat Tucknott, Savident 1 up; J Blondel, Mahy beat Carre, Davidson 4 & 2; D Blondel, Le Huray beat Marley, Davy 2 & 1; Harwood, Halden beat Brown, Casey 1 up; Troop, Hibbins beat Griggs, Bushby at the 20th; Bisson, Pattimore beat A Mills, Austin 5 & 3.
Tuesday’s quarter-finals
C McKenna, R McKenna v R Mills, Chamberlain; Anees, Walker v J Blondel, Mahy; D Blondel, Le Huray v Harwood, Halden; Troop, Hibbins v Bisson, Pattimore.
