Golf: Brad Iles lengthens lead at Australian amateur champs

10.50am

Wellington golfer Brad Iles has lengthened his lead to four shots after two rounds of strokeplay at the Australian Amateur Championships in Adelaide.

Iles has a four shot advantage over Wayne Berry of New South Wales after 36 holes, shooting a three-under par 70 at Royal Adelaide yesterday.

This followed his opening round five-under par 66 at Glenelg on Thursday to record a 36-hole total of 136, eight-under par midway through the strokeplay championship.

Nine New Zealanders made the cut for the 100 players to contest the final 36 holes today and tomorrow at Royal Adelaide, with the top 32 players after the 72 hole strokeplay to contest matchplay for the championship.

Hawkes Bay golfer Doug Holloway was the next best of the Kiwis, following his first round even-par 71 at Glenelg with a two-under 71 at Royal Adelaide. He is in a share of fourth place with South Australians Adam Bland and Peter Cooke.

Holloway is three shots ahead of the next Kiwi, Rotorua's Jae An who is in a share of 17th place on one-over par. The other New Zealanders to make the cut included Auckland's Travis O'Connell and Kevin Chun, Mark Smith (Rotorua), Aaron Mahoney (Canterbury), Hamish Robertson (Manawatu), Josh Carmichael (North Harbour), Brad Shilton (Waikato) and Josh Geary (Mt Maunganui).

International Mathew Holten of Waikato missed the cut by one shot.

A first round disappointment was Hamilton's Mark Purser who disqualified himself after signing an incorrect card.

In recounting his round to fellow New Zealanders at the team accommodation, he realised he had missed recording one shot after failing to get out of a plugged lie in a bunker. Purser returned to the course immediately to inform officials and was disqualified.

- NZPA