Dream of Ashley Chesters comes to rough end

Golfer Ashley Chesters' hopes of landing the Australian Amateur Championship title have ended in the last 16.

Chesters, from Hawkstone Park, is Down Under as one of three home-based players selected by the English Golf Union to represent the country in a series of tournaments over the next couple of months.

And he put up a good show at this week's prestigious Amateur Championship at Woodland Golf Club in Melbourne, where his run was ended by New South Wales golfer Ricky Kato in the second matchplay round.

Chesters, 22, was all square with three to play in what appeared to be building towards a thrilling finish.

But a bad lie in the rough on the 16th saw him fall behind and the match was all over at the 17th, the Shropshire ace unlucky to find a bunker footprint.

Chesters had done well, though, even to come through qualifying having shot a disastrous 10-over opening round of 82 at Huntingdale.

At Woodlands for the second round, he turned on the style and carded a terrific two-under 70 to climb to 44th on the leaderboard and make the cut for the matchplay stage.

The first round on Thursday saw him up against Ireland's Reeve Whiston and he came through with a one-hole victory to set up yesterday's showdown with Kato.

Chesters has already put up an impressive showing during his Australian adventure, having shone in the Master of the Amateurs at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, where he even shot a hole in one.

He finished ninth overall in that event, the highest-placed European in the field.

His big moment came on the 202-metre par three 16th in his third round. And it's not the first time the 22-year-old has scored an ace. It is in fact his fourth, with the last one coming eight years ago.

The north Shropshire star was enjoying a short break from golf this weekend, taking in some of the action from the Australian Open tennis.

But he jets to Sydney on Monday to prepare for the Lake Macqyarie International at Belmont which starts on Thursday.