PRESTATYN teenager Jason Shufflebotham turned the formbook inside out to romp into the quarter-finals of the Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes on the Lancashire coast yesterday.
The 18-year-old star, whose goal at the start of the week was simply to qualify for the match-play stages, produced two fine performances to dispatch highly-rated opponents.
First, the Welsh junior international, who recently won the Aberconwy Trophy, took on top qualifier and Walker cup hopeful David Horsey and seemed to be staring defeat in the face when he was one down with three to play.
He then moved smoothly into top gear.
Shufflebotham who goes to the University of Alabama in the autumn fired three birdies at his rival to turn that defecit into a two-hole victory.
Next up for the North Walian was American Tom Glissmeyer who had played very well himself to beat Ireland's Jonathan Caldwell with something to spare in the morning.
He won the first two holes but Glissmeyer pulled one back by the turn before the Welsh teenager knocked in two crucial putts for two birdies to regain a three-hole advantage.
After that they halved to the 16th where Shufflebotham closed the door with a clinical par.
He now faces Australian Rick Kulacz who booked his place in the last eight with a 3&1 defeat of Scotsman Mark Kerr.
Wales's other hope Rhys Enoch was not at his best in the third round against Callum Macaulay and crashed out of the championship beaten 4&3 after being three down early on.
