British success at Amateur Championship

The tournament at Carnoustie has seen plenty of early success for British players.

The 120th Amateur Championship match play rounds have begun well for a number of British players after they got underway at Carnoustie yesterday.

England's two-time European Amateur champion Ashley Chesters got off to a perfect start, edging out Australia's Taylor MacDonald 3&2.

Chesters said: "It was so windy out there I was just making pars which were good enough to win holes.

"I putted well and holed a lot of 10 footers which was important at some good times in the match."

Scottish players thrived on home soil, with Craig Ross, Jack McDonald, Robert McIntyre and Greig Marchbank all winning their first round matches.

Grant Forrest beat his fellow countryman Alexander Culverwell 6&4, saying afterwards: "I have played Zander before and I know what he is capable of, but he just maybe never had his best day today.

Craig Howie wasn't quite so successful, though, and lost 2&1 to Italy's Michele Cea.

Wales' David Boote followed Cea's lead by beating Scotland's Ewen Ferguson 2&1 in a battle of the Brits. Boote took an early lead after two holes and never relinquished it.

Jack Yule and Jimmy Mullen also won their opening matches over Dermot McElroy and Jeremy Gandon respectively.

There was also a 2&1 win for Gavin Moynihan, the Irish Amateur champion, over Tom Gandy.

One of the shock results of the day was Vetle Maroy's win over Marcus Kinhult of Sweden, the highest ranked player at the event. Maroy beat Kinhult, no. 3 in the amateur rankings, on the last hole to set up a second round match against Antoine Rozner.

The Norwegian said: "With four to play I was actually three down. Marcus struggled a little bit on the last few holes and I did actually play on his mistakes."

Alejandro Tosti and Ryan Chisnall needed 22 holes to separate them, with the Argentine Tosti eventually taking his place in the next round against Thomas Rosenmueller.

England's Sam Horsfield was due to play but has qualified for this week's US Open.