Dougherty eases through first round of English Amateur

Nick Dougherty, the newly appointed England boys' captain, backed up his words with deeds to ease through the first round of the English Amateur Championship at St Mellion.

The 17-year-old seed from Lancashire was being held by Justin Phelps from Ruislip at the turn, but then turned the screw by winning five holes in a row to win 5 and 4.

"I feel I'm playing well enough to win," he said.

It would be a brave man that dismissed his claims on recent form. The Shaw Hill won the World Boys' Individual Championship in Japan last month as England took the team title, and then he finished runner-up last week to David Porter in the Carris Trophy.

Porter, 16, who like Dougherty helped England win the European boys' team championship in Sweden earlier this month, is by-passing St Mellion, having been called up for the European Young Masters tournament in Italy.

Many competitors will be pleased at that while another of his team-mates, Ben Welch, from Weymouth, eased through 2 and 1 over Joel Field from Sandy Lodge.

Two other seeds also came through unscathed. Yorkshireman John Wells was never troubled after winning four of the opening six holes against Graham Mitton from Accrington.

And former England boys' captain David Griffiths, from Hertfordshire, lost the first two holes against new boys' cap Richard Coulson (Hull).

But he bounced back to go two up while the crucial point came at the 12th when Griffiths chipped-in from off the green for a half to stay in front and win 2 and 1.

Last year's runner-up Simon Gorry sailed through 7 and 5 against Matt Scaife from Sussex.

But it was a bad day for Roger Smithies, beaten by champion Mark Sanders in the semi-finals at Woodhall Spa a year ago. He fell at the first hurdle, beaten by Northumberland's David Errington.

English Amateur Championship, St Mellion -1st rd:

J Phillips (Walmley) bt L Kindon (Manchester) 3 and 2
G Clark (Doncaster) bt P Cary (Teignmouth) 1 hole
C Harris (North Worcestershire) bt G Legg (Enmore Park) 4 and 3
C George (Tehidy Park) bt M Reynard (Moseley) w/o
A Hollingworth (Huddersfield) bt D Powell (Bristol & Clifton) at 19th
J Draycott (Huntercombe) bt D Henley (Stoneham) 3 and 1
B Welch (Weymouth) bt J Field (Sandy Lodge) 2 and 1
I Brown (Ross-on-Wye) bt Sam Robinson (Canwick Park) 1 hole
J Morgan (Clevedon) bt D Hares (Bristol & Clifton) 2 and 1
K Staunton (Woodcote Park) bt Steve Robinson (Hillsborough) 2 holes
G Evans (Ealing) bt R Hodgkinson (Lindrick) at 19th
A Smith (Enville) bt J Holmes (Crewe) at 19th
D Griffiths (West Herts) bt R Coulson (Hull) 2 and 1
R Caldwell (Sunningdale) bt J Elliot (The Essex) 2 and 1
B Belcher (Beau Desert) bt G Ruth (Tavistock) 2 and 1
S Davey (Yelverton) bt A Gawman (Tavistock) 6 and 5
D Errington (Arcot Hall) bt R Smithies (Manchester) at 20th
B Banks (West Surrey) bt W Dugdale (Sunningdale) 1 hole
C Humphrey (Basingstoke) bt S Mudford (Lyme Regis) 1 hole
P Bird (Southport & Ainsdale) bt D Vanstone (Royal North Devon) 2 and 1
J Wells (Beverley & East Riding) bt G Mitton (Accrington) 4 and 3
R Rea (Royal Mid-Surrey) bt W Salthouse (Ealing) 1 hole
M Summerfield (Cottesmore) bt K Harper (East Devon) 3 and 2
G Hastie (Dunscar) br M Booker (Royal Mid-Surrey) 3 and 2
S Chapman (St Enodoc) bt J Wormald (Kingswood) 2 and 1
S Diton (Fulwell) bt R Connolly (Collingtree Park) 2 and 1
M Selby bt D Wood (Sand Moor) w/o
T Seaton (Gog Magog) bt G Condon (Northampton) 1 hole
N Willson (John O'Gaunt) bt O Kavanagh (Stoke Poges) w/o
M Ramsdale (Formby) bt R Latham (Porters Park) w/o
R Blaxill (Wanstead) bt S Davis (Kedleston Park) at 20th
S Gorry (Sudbury) bt M Scaife (West Sussex) 7 and 5
D Clark (Richmond) bt R Fisher (Sundridge Park) 3 and 2
M Thomas (Hallamshire) bt S Fromant (Orsett) 4 and 2
E Vernon (Branston) bt D Murphy (Ladbrook Park) w/o
L Atkinson (Stoke Poges) bt A Jones (Sutton Coldfield) at 19th
J Elson (West Surrey) bt D Ryles (West Hill) 1 hole
J Lupton (Middlesbrough) bt C Gold (The Berkshire) 5 and 4
A Gibson (Weald Park) bt J York (West Herts) 2 and 1
N Dougherty (Shaw Hill) bt J Phelps (Ruislip) 5 and 4
P Thomas (West Bradford) bt B Case (Sandford Springs) 2 holes
C Hall (Hillsborough) bt I Parnaby (Durham City) 1 hole
L Orchard (Broadstone) bt L Miller (Woodbridge) 4 and 3
Y Ali (Ealing) bt N Conley (Chartham Park) 3 and 2
P Carr (Sunningdale) bt R Jones (Harborne) 1 hole
D Hayes (Coventry) bt P Burr (Sth Beds) 1 hole
P Wheatcroft (Worksop) bt P Davies (Canwick Park) 4 and 3
J Barrow (Huddersfield) bt J Gynne (Tavistock) 4 and 2
N Burrows (Minchinhampton) bt J Glover (Rotherham) at 20th
M Side (Shirley Park) bt S Vinnicombe (Leighton Buzzard) 3 and 1
L Boxall (WestSurrey) bt D James (Broadstone) 4 and 2
C Goodall (Willingdon) bt A Laud(Little Lakes) 1 hole
S Cherry (Lyshott Heath) w/o J Hall (Alresford)
P Smith(Kidderminster) bt G Harper (East Devon) 4 and 2
D Kitteridge (BishopsStortford) bt K Godfrey (St Enodoc) 2 and 1
S Young (Seascale) bt D Bauer(Marlborough) 2 and 1
A Poole (St Mellion) bt D Hastings (Old Fold Manor) at19th
E Butler (Lansdown) bt P Bradshaw (Holme Hall) 1 hole
J Doherty(Worthing) bt G Higgins (Moor Park) 8 and 7
O Whiteley (Hillsborough) bt JColeman (West Cornwall) 5 and 4
J Evans (Guildford) bt O Wilson (Coxmoor) 4 and3
F Young (West Kent) bt D West (Bedford and County) 6 and 4