British Amateur: Two NI players make last 64 matchplay stage

The schedule for the British Amateur Championship has been amended

Northern Ireland players Cormac Sharvin and Chris Selfridge have reached the last 64 matchplay stage of the British Amateur Championship.

Round two of strokeplay qualifying resumed at Royal Portrush, and the nearby Portstewart course, on Wednesday after fog curtailed Tuesday's action.

Ardglass player Sharvin was tied for eighth on one under after two rounds of 70, seven behind leader Daniel Brown.

Selfridge, of Moyola Park, ended joint 16th on level after a 72 at Portrush.

Selfridge, who won the North of Ireland Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush last July, had opened with a 69 at Portstewart.

Ireland's Rory McNamara, of Headfort, is one of the players level with Sharvin on one under thanks to an impressive second-round 69 on the Portrush links.

Brown, from Bedale, Yorkshire, posted a four-under 67 at Portstewart to continue the form he showed in carding a 67 at Portrush.

He finished four shots ahead of fellow Englishman Ashton Turner and Italian Renato Paratore, who registered the best second round score with a 66 at Portrush.

Selfridge and Sharvin, a previous winner of the Irish Close Championship, are two of a seven-strong Northern Ireland contingent challenging for honours on the north coast.

The other five competitors, including 2013 Spanish Amateur champion Reeve Whitson and Belvoir Park's Harry Diamond, have missed the cut.

Mourne man Whitson ended his second round eight over, with Diamond well down the 288-strong field on 14 under.

Javier Ballesteros, son of the late legendary Seve, followed up his disappointing first-round 81 with an improved 76 at Portstewart, but he was also well shy of the cut mark of four over.

The 119th playing of the tournament has attracted an international field, including players from as far afield as South America and New Zealand.

The major delay on Tuesday has caused the Royal and Ancient to revise the schedule for the remainder of the tournament, with a preliminary round, if required, and the 32 first-round matches now taking place on Thursday.

The 16 second-round matches and eight third-round ties will be staged on Friday, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals on Saturday and the 36-hole final on Sunday.