WILPSHIRE's Simon Townend revived memories of three years ago when he powered into a share of the first round lead in the £18,000 De Vere Hotels PGA North Region Championship at Heron's Reach, Blackpool yesterday.

Townend tacked a 68 to his opening 65 for a nine-under-par total of 133 matched by Yorkshire's John Oates who equalled the course record 64.

Townend, the winner in 1996, admitted: "When I started to play again I was in awe of the lads I used to beat. But I've got over that and I feel I can take on anyone."

Burnley's Simon Eaton turned in one of the day's best rounds, a 66 which left him at one-under-par and eight off the pace.

Clitheroe's Paul McEvoy handed in 69 to make the cut and so did defending champion Paul Carman, the Huddersfield pro who lives in Burnley, who repeated his first round 71.

But Blackburn Driving Range's Jeff Mathews missed it by one.

Second round results: 133 J Oates (Renishaw Park) 69, 64, S Townend (Wilpshire) 65, 68; 136 F Valenti (Drive-Time) 64, 72; 137 M Jones (Bolton Open) 68, 69, R Wragg (Renishaw Park) 68, 69, B Toone (Ellesmere) 70, 67; 138 N Cheetham (unatt) 69, 69, M Archer (Roseberry Grange) 67, 71, M Macara (Rhos on Sea) 70, 68; 139 A Baguley (Leigh) 71, 68, G J Brand (Baildon) 68, 71. Others: 140 G Furey (Pleasington) 70, 70, I Taylor (Preston) 72, 68; 141 S Eaton (Burnley) 75, 66; 142 P Carman (Huddersfield) 71, 71, P McEvoy (Clitheroe) 73, 69, S D Taylor (Shaw Hill) 70, 72.

Kirsty Taylor was five shots off the pace after the first round of the Weetabix Women's British Open at Woburn.

The Clitheroe ace carded a 73 and trails joint leaders, Aki Takamura, from Japan, and Denmark's Iben Tinning. Chorley's Lora Fairclough recorded a 76.

Paul Dwyer shot a disappointing five over par 55 to lie 11 shots behind Kiwi leader Elliot Boult in the West of Ireland Classic at Galway Bay, his European Tour debut.

Shaw Hill's Nick Dougherty is through to the last eight of the British Boys' Championship at Royal St David's, North Wales. He scraped through against David Porter by hitting his tee shot on the final hole to 10 feet from the flag.

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