Tournament favourite Charlestown’s Jake Higginbottom charged up the leader board on the second day of the Greater Newcastle Building Society Lake Macquarie Men’s International Championships with a blistering five under 67 at Belmont today.  Higginbottom had two eagles, on the par five 9th and 16th holes, and three birdies in his spectacular round which followed his two under par 70 yesterday.  But his seven under total of 137 for the two days is still four behind the leader, Caboolture star Daniel Nesbit who had a four under 68 today to go with his brilliant seven under 65 yesterday, giving him a total of 133.

Nesbit, who had his parents and his godparents with him in his gallery, plans to turn professional at the end of the year. The 21-year-old said the Belmont course was in great condition after the rain. “There’s a lot of scoring to be done,” he said.

One shot behind the leader is German Marcel Schneider who defeated Nesbit last week in the Australian Amateur Championships at Woodlands, Melbourne, on the 37th hole of the 36 holes of match play. Schneider had a 68 today to follow his great round of 66 yesterday and is on a two-day total of 134.

Also in second place of 134 after two rounds of 67 is Woodlands star Nathan Holman who beat Nesbit two weeks ago in the Master of the Amateurs tournament at Royal Melbourne. The current Newcastle District Champion, Belmont’s Chris Smith followed his four under 68 yesterday with a two under 70 today and is still well in the event on 138. Last year’s winner of the Lake Macquarie, Royal Perth’s Brady Watt, had a three under par 69 to follow his one under 71 yesterday and is still in contention.

One of the rounds of the day came from 16 year old Zac Stoltz, the son of champion Central Coast professional golfer Andre Stoltz.  Zac had a four under par 68 to follow his first round 76 and is on 144. The youngster had to qualify for the event, making the field with a 75.

England’s Ben Loughrey after a 70 is tied 31st with Neil Raymond  tied 37th following his two under yesterday with a 74 today. Ashley Chesters carded a second 74 and is tied 90th.

For full second round results click here.

Queensland star Daniel Nisbet, who ran second in the Australian Amateur Championships in Melbourne last week, took an early lead in the first round of the Greater Building Society Lake Macquarie Men’s International Championships with a seven under 65 at Belmont today. Nisbet, who plays out of the Caboolture Club, had five birdies on the front nine today to go out in 31. He birdied the 1st, 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th. On the back nine be had birdies on the 12th, 14th and 18th with a bogey on the 10th.

German golfer Marcel Schneider, who beat Nisbet on the 37th hole in the 36 hole final of the Australian Championships, is breathing down his neck in second place at Belmont. Schneider, who lives in Stuttgart and plays for the Schloss Monrepos Club, went out in 32 with an eagle 3 on the 4th hole and birdies on the 5th , 6th and 9th. His only blemish was a bogey on the 7th. He came home in 34 with birdies on the last three holes and a bogey on 13.

Four players, Callan O’Reilly, of Pennant Hills, Brad Moules, of Royal Adelaide, Nathan Holman, of Woodlands, Melbourne, and Mathew Perry, of Hamilton , New Zealand, carded 67s to be in second place.

Belmont’s favourite golfing son Chris Smith climbed to third on the leader board with a spectacular four under par 68. Taking full advantage of the softer, rain affected greens, Smith played the first nine in a sizzling five under par 31 with birdies on the 2nd , 3rd, 4th, 6th and 9th. He faltered at the start of the back nine with bogeys on 10, 12, 13 and 15. But then, in a dramatic fight back, he eagled 16, sinking a four metre putt after hitting driver and seven iron to the green. He birdied the 17th with an even longer putt from the back of the green and parred the last for his 68.

The 25-year-old is the current Newcastle District Champion but has never won the Lake Macquarie event on his home course. He now plays out of the Pymble Club in Sydney.

Also on 68 were James Gibellini, of Emerald Lakes, Kevin Marques, of Indooroopilly, John McMiles, of Liverpool, Michael Gerstenberg, of Goulburn, and Dimitrios Papadatos, of Moore Park.

New Zealand’s No. 1 player, Ben Campbell, carded 69 and local favourite, Jake Higginbottom, of Charlestown, was still in the race with a two under 70.

England’s Neil Raymond carded a 69 and tied 18th.

For first round scores click here.

A number of British players tee it up in the Greater Building Society Lake Macquarie Men’s Amateur International Championships which begin on Thursday, January 26 at the Belmont course. A total of 36 overseas players have entered including two from Finland, 6 from Germany, 5 from Ireland, 13 from New Zealand, 9 from the England and one from Scotland.

Australian Charlestown golfing protégé Jake Higginbottom is one of the favourites to win. The 18 year old star, currently at number 15 in the world men’s amateur rankings, is the highest ranked player in the field of 168 international and Australian players.  Last year, Higginbottom won the Keperra Bowl in Brisbane and a week earlier won the Queensland Amateur Championships.

He is the holder of both the NSW and Queensland amateur crowns as well an international title, the 2010 China Amateur Open. Every season since he turned 14 he has either won a junior event or a main amateur tournament and he has never had a better chance to break through in the prestigious Belmont event. A product of the Charlestown Club, he now plays out of the Australian Club in Sydney and has a plus 3 handicap.

The last member of the Belmont Club to win the tournament, Bruce Boyle, who took out the title 40 years ago, will again be part of the field.

After the first two rounds of the tournament, there will be a cut to the top 80 players plus ties. For the last two rounds, it will be a seeded draw with the last tee times at midday.

For first and second draw click here.

Germany’s Marcel Schneider won the Australian Amateur Championship on the 37th hole in a hard fought match with Queensland’s Daniel Nisbet.

Schneider was four down in the match at various stages but rallied with birdies on four of his last six holes to reel in the Caboolture Golf Club member.

“It’s great, unbelievable – it’s my first big success,” the 21 year old from Stuttgart said. “This ranks really, really high in my career so far. I played the BMW International on the European Tour last year and this is up there with that.”

Schneider said the Woodlands’ layout reminded him of home. “I like courses with all the old trees around them and we have a few in Germany with difficult narrow fairways and perfect greens.”

Schneider, who took up the game properly at the age of 12, had to reel in Nisbet to clinch victory.

“It was a great match and I was always down. I started really badly and was always two down, three down, four down, three down and I said keep going and worked out when I had my chance. I told myself to stay focused and hit the greens and make putts – the putter was good this week” Schneider said.

Schneider is the first German to win the title and the first international player since Norway’s Anders Kristiansen in 2008.

He earns an exemption into the Emirates Australian Open later this year.

Hopes of a British win in the Australian Amateur Championship were dashed today after England’s Ashley Chesters and Ben Loughrey lost in the second round along with Ireland’s Gary Hurley.

Chesters lost to Ricky Kato 2/1, Loughrey also lost 2/1 to Cameron Smith, whilst Gary Hurley went out to  Germany’s Marcel Schneider by two holes.

For full match play results click here.

England’s Jack Colegate and Curtis Griffiths both failed to reach the second round of the 111th All India Amateur Golf Championship at Chandigarh Golf Club .

Colegate lost to Trishul Chinnappa 2/1 and Griffiths 1 down to IPS Mann.

For full first round scores click here.

England’s Ashley Chesters with a 1up win over Ireland’s Reeve Whitson and Ben Loughrey with an emphatic 5/4 win over James Gibellini, both moved into the last 32 in the Australian Amateur Championship at Woodlands Golf Club today.

Ireland’s Gary Hurley also advanced to the second stage with a 1up win over Ben Clemensten.

It was a tough day for the other British players with England’s Jimmy Mullen, who was just edged out at the 20th hole by New Zealander Jonny Racliffe. Neil Raymond also failed at the first hurdle by Jordan Zunic 5/3. Niall  Gorey from Ireland suffered a heavy first round loss to Blair Riordan 7/6

To follow the match play scores click here.

Both England’s Jack Colegate and Curtis Griffiths cruised into the match play in 111th All India Amateur Championships at the Chandigarh Golf Club today.

Griffiths carding a second round one under 70 moved up into 5th seed for the match play, whilst Colegate after  a 73 became the 10th seed.

For full second qualifying results click here.

After great second rounds, England’s official team in Australia all made it through to the match play in the Australian Amateur Championship.

Neil Raymond finished tied 18th after a two round score of  148. Ben Loughrey also qualified finishing tied 30th after a second round 70 and on 150. Ashley Chesters also carded a 70 to finish on 152 and tied 44th. However, England’s leading qualifier was Jimmy Mullen who had entered the tournament independently and finished 10th with scores of  73 and 72.

Three Irish players also made the cut, Royal County Down’s Reeve Whitson on 147 and both Gary Hurley and Niall Gory on 153 and tied 51st..

For second round scores click here.

England’s Jack Colegate and Curtis Griffiths find themselves just four shots of the the lead in the first round qualifier in the 111th All India Amateur Championships at the Chandigarh Golf Club yesterday.

Both carded a four over par 75 and are tied 13th. The top 32  move on to the match play, which begins on Thursday. Leading the first round is Karan Taunk with a level par 71.

In the International Team Championship England are in fourth place.

For full first round results click here.