Cutler’s birdie blitz overwhelms Perez at Hillside

PAUL CUTLER reproduced the sort of form yesterday that has brought him so many honours over the past couple of years to sweep into the third round of the Amateur Championship at Hillside on the Lancashire coast.

The 22-year-old Irish close champion and West of Ireland title-holder gave a stunning birdie-packed display to overwhelm France’s Victor Perez 5&4.

Cutler, the 2010 Lytham Trophy winner, won two of the first three holes and was five up at the turn.

He then took the 11th before suffering his only loss of the game on the next hole.

Halves at 13 and 14 saw him into round three where he will face Austrian Philipp Fendt for a place in the last 16 this morning.

Cutler, a quarter-finalist last year, who had six birdies yesterday including five on the outward half, said: “I played really well and made hardly any mistakes. It was my best performance of the week and (I) must now keep it going,”

Garth McGee, the 19-year-old son of the Malone club professional Michael, who did well to qualify on Tuesday with a second round 71, looked likely to progress when three up after eight holes on Norwegian Joakim Mikkelsen.

Although McGee played solidly after that with a succession of pars, his opponent picked up a few birdies and squared matters at the 14th.

From then to the finish it was neck and neck and they were still level after 18 holes, forcing sudden-death.

But at the 19th, McGee hit his second shot out to the left and could not recover well enough to get up and down so he headed home on the ferry to Belfast last night.

Portmarnock’s James Fox — brother of veteran international Noel — never really got going against impressive New Zealander Lyndon Edwards who had been one of the first qualifying round leaders.

Edwards won two of the first three holes, went three up at the eighth and went on win comfortably on a score of 4&2.

Top qualifier Gregory Eason made an early exit, going down 2&1 to Matthew Wallace and the third qualifier Steven Brown also went out.