Twenty-four hours after knocking out defending champion Conor McKenna, 15-year-old Mills produced a confident and mature display to reach the last eight at the expense of Jeffery, a former runner-up in this competition who has a well-deserved reputation as being difficult to beat in match-play.
However, while the experienced man was giving up considerable length off the tee to his young opponent, it was the junior’s short game that proved the difference as he barley gave Jeffery a sniff of a chance, easing through in 15 holes.
Mills will now face Lewis Marley, who narrowly came through the best match of the night and the solitary one that went the distance in the second round.
Up against Rory McKenna, Marley made four birdies and dropped just a single shot throughout the evening, but that proved only just enough to see off his opponent, who drove the green on the 17th to make a birdie that kept his hopes alive.
Both hit fine tee shots down the last, too, with Marley cozying up his putt to hole-side, leaving McKenna knowing that he had to drain his for a two, but it failed to drop.
The other quarter-final in the bottom half of the draw will be a mouthwatering repeat of the 2019 final as Jeremy Nicolle and Danny Blondel both progressed with something to spare yesterday, beating George Melhuish and Wayne Harwood respectively.
The other big giantkiller of the first round, Josh Neville, was unable to add Jamie Blondel to his list of scalps as the top seed overcame the teenager in 13 holes to set up a cracking quarter-final with another former two-time champion Tom Le Huray, who eventually saw off the typically gritty challenge of Tim Halden on the 17th.
Unlike his son Alex, Roland Mills had an off night whereas Stuart Wallbridge played well to ease into the quarter-finals where he will meet another Mills, although this one is no relation to the other two.
Sean Mills was involved in a tight battle with Danny Bisson, but he edged ahead with an excellent birdie three from the left-hand side of the 16th and his club-mate then hit a poor tee shot on 17 that brought the fourth seed’s championship to an end.
Second round results
D Jeffery lost to A Mills 4 & 3
L Marley beat R McKenna 1 up
G Melhuish lost to J Nicolle 3 & 2
D Blondel beat W Harwood 4 & 3
S Mills beat D Bisson 2 & 1
S Wallbridge beat R Mills 5 & 3
T Halden lost to T Le Huray 3 & 1
J Blondel beat J Neville 6 & 5
Today’s quarter-finals, from 4.42pm
J Blondel v T Le Huray
S Wallbridge v S Mills
D Blondel v J Nicolle
L Marley v A Mills.
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