If Jarryd Dillas wants to reclaim his Bermuda Amateur Match Play Championships crown he is going to have to do it the hard way.

Dillas and Mark Phillips, occasional team-mates and two of the Island’s top amateur golfers, face each other in this morning’s first round after an intriguing day of qualifying yesterday.

With only the top eight making it into the championship flight, Phillips’s four-over-par 75 made him the fourth seed, while Dillas shot a 77 leaving him fifth at Mid Ocean Club. Putting themselves in each other’s way on the road to the title.

Ben Hodge, meanwhile, who beat Dillas on his way to making the final last year, will have to play in the First Flight after shooting an 81, and missing out on the top eight by one shot.

Whoever wins between Dillas and Phillips is likely to be favourite to claim the title, although Walker Campbell, whose 74 was the best round of the day, may have something to say about that. Campbell takes on Shawn Knight today, the bottom seed in the Championship Flight, and will face the winner of the Phillips/Dillas match in this afternoon’s semi-finals.

Phillips was one of three golfers to finish with a 75, with Joshua Cabrera taking the second seed, and Jevon Roberts the third spot. In the bottom half of the draw, Cabrera will play Gary Brangman, while Roberts faces Greg Reilly Jr this morning.

Roberts could well have been the top seed, but after being level-par through 12 the wheels came off slightly over the closing holes. Roberts four-putted from 20ft on 14, and after a birdie at 15, struggled on the greens at 16 and 17, three-putting both times for bogey.

“The greens are a little faster than elsewhere on the Island,” Roberts said. “[But] if you keep it online it goes in, you just can’t be above the hole, especially on 16, if you are, you’re dead meat.”

Still Roberts is in a solid position and believes that if he can take the form he showed yesterday into the match play he’s “got a good chance this week.”

In the women’s qualifying Elizabeth Parson had the best round of the day with an 84, which gave her the second seeding in the Ladies Championship and a first round match against Gina Zangrillo, who shot a 93. Ebonie Burgess, the defending champion, was automatically the top seed, and she will play Tina Bellanca, who shot 111 yesterday.

Tracy Burgess and Tracy Nash will play each other for the right to play Ebonie Burgess in the semi-finals this afternoon, while Parsons is likely to await the winner of the match between Katrin Burnie and Linda Down.

With no qualifying this year in the Senior Men’s Championship, the first round took place yesterday, with Max Atherden, the defending champion, beating Steve Hickmott 3 and 2. Atherden will play Craig Christensen in this morning’s semi-final, with Hav Trott taking on Steve Duxbury in the other semi-final.

In the Senior Ladies Championship, top-seed Carol Jones cruised to a 6 and 5 win over Cindy Kinjo-Hardart to set up a semi-final with Susan Vallis, while second seed Valerie Nearon’s 8 and 7 win over Shirley Higgins was equally emphatic and she takes on Susan Frith this morning.