Despite having led the way in Sunday’s scratch Stableford qualifier to earn their place at the top of the draw, last year’s runners-up Danny Bisson and Tom Pattimore knew they would have their work cut out when they went head-to-head with two former winners in Rory McKenna and Jeremy Nicolle.
It turned out to be a cracker, too, with little to choose between the pairs all evening, but they saved their best for when they came down the stretch.
They were all-square stepping onto the 15th tee after halving the long 14th in birdie fours and both had decent chances of a three on 15, but had to settle for pars.
With a helping wind pushing the ball out to the left on the 16th, Pattimore was annoyed with his tee shot that finished in an awkward spot, leaving Bisson with a difficult approach across the green and having to negotiate the corner of the greenside bunker. He played it superbly, though, giving his partner a 10ft birdie attempt that Pattimore converted to edge them ahead with two to play.
With the wind at his back, McKenna responded by hitting a long iron up 17 that finished close to the green, but again sand lay between the ball and the hole.
This time it was Nicolle with the deft hands, coming within a whisker of holing his chip for an eagle as he set up a simple putt for McKenna to level things up once more.
With the 18th playing into the stiff breeze, Nicolle’s seven iron to 25ft was a peach, but Pattimore’s reply was even better, leaving it around 15ft from the cup.
It was McKenna who came up trumps with the flat stick, though, dropping in his putt for a two at dead weight.
Bisson came agonisingly close to taking the match down extra holes, but his effort failed to drop.
The defending champions were involved in a nail-biter of their own but after senior duo Graeme Falla and Neil Tanguy won both the 15th and 16th holes to get back on level terms, Jamie Blondel came up with a couple of pinpoint iron shots on 17 and 18 to send him and Steve Mahy through to the quarter-finals where they will play Jack Mitchell and Stuart Wallbridge.
Two all-junior pairings are through to the last eight with Tom Chamberlain and Noah Davy’s reward being a meeting with McKenna and Nicolle while Josh Neville and James Troop, who took the scalp of Dave Jeffery and Jayden Tucknott, now face Lewis Marley and Conor McKenna.
In the clash of father-and-son, experience won the day as Roland Mills and partner Andy Chamberlain got the better of Alex Mills and Charlie Czarnecki.
They will now play Daniel Griggs and Harry Bushby.
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