Thompson's two at last is a killer blow

ALL the big guns went through on first round night in the Deutsche Bank Guernsey Championships. But on a miserably grey and damp L'Ancresse evening it was the outsiders who were, in the main, creating the talking points, none more so than the Guernsey Junior Club chairman Chris Thompson who beat Peter Crosland two up thanks to an astounding 50ft birdie putt 'into the wind and the tide' on the 18th.

Thompson had looked far from clinching a second-round clash with Steve Mahy when he found himself three down at the turn.

Mahy, meanwhile needed all his skill to overcome L'Ancresse team-mate Mike

Hamon by a similar scoreline.

The pair did not half a hole until the 14th and it was Mahy's birdie three at the 16th which ultimately won the day.

'It was a good battle,' said Mahy.

'I was pretty solid coming up the last four holes and I had to be. Mick's a fighter . . . the type of player you don't want to play early on.'

Poor Geoff King traipsed 23 holes before finally losing on the fifth extra hole to Craig Allen.

'It was a long walk,' said Allen, who ultimately won with a par on a hole where the wind was enough for both men to need a wood with their second shots.

Allen had been three up after six and King did not level until the 18th, which was his second win on the bounce and took him into what was a prolonged as opposed to sudden death.

Nigel le Noury, one of the former champions in a disappointingly small entry, was two down to Laurence Graham after three, the latter having opened 4-4-3.

But the big man came back superbly and sailed through to the next round 5 and 4.

With perhaps a degree of understatement, Le Noury said: 'I struck the ball quite well.

'I was fairly solid while he made a few mistakes which you do in this type of wind.'

Another vulnerable seed faced with a tough first round opponent was Jack Mitchell, the island junior champion.

But from being all-square at the turn he came through to beat fellow island player Danny Blondel 3 and 2.

It was a mixed day for the Blondel clan.

Cousins Jamie and Luke won, the former by a thumping 7 and 6 margin over Dave Platt, the left-handed Luke one up against Rob Waters.

That represented quite a fightback by Waters who had been five down after six and then went one up on tbe back nine.

Bobby Eggo's back did not come under too much pressure from Mark Guillot, the top seed winning 8 and 7, while number two seed Danny Bisson came through 3 and 2 against the youngest player in the field, Stuart Hamon.

Defending champion David Rowlinson won 5 and 4 against Paul Tostevin.

The pick of this evening's second round matches sees Le Noury face Dave Nicolle and Mitchell play Ian Thomas.