REIGNING Kent Messenger Sunshine Challenge golf champion Steve Lovell is safely through to the second round of this year's competition.

The four-handicapper from Sittingbourne beat Mike Fillingham (h9, Faversham) 3&1 to set up an away game with Terence Gilland (h13, North Foreland).

The most exhausted player to win through to the second round must surely be Duncan Marsh ( h11, Sheerness), who beat David Botterill (h20, Deangate Ridge) at the fifth extra hole.

The winner of this year's competition will represent the Kent Messenger Group in the national finals in Portugal between 5-12 November where he/she will battle it out against more than a dozen other regional newspapers' winners.

First round results: Tony Sampson (h10, Redlibbets) beat Gary Morris (h15, Chestfield) 4&3; James Walsh (h10, Tudor Park) beat Brian Issom (h15, Holtye) 2&1; Andy Smith (h6, Kings Hill) beat Nick Hales (h12, Sittingbourne) 4&3; Tom Sampson (h7, Hemstead Forest) beat Milton Marsh (h17, Sene Valley) 2&1; Ray Bridge (h14, Deangate Ridge) walkover v Vincenzo Squillaci (h11, Sheerness); Barry Barnsley (h24, Royal Cinque Port) beat Peter Philpot (h18, Ashford) 7&6; Peter Webber (h21, Bearsted) beat Barry Venner (h15, Broome Park) 5&3; Steve Lovell (h4, Sittingbourne) beat Michael Fillingham (h9, Faversham) 3&1; Terence Gilland (h13, North Foreland) beat Gavin Rogers (h7, Tenterden) 2up; David Tottman (h6, Canterbury) beat Bryan England (h15, Sittingbourne) 2&1; Patrick Goode (h14, Canterbury) beat Sid Silk (h24, Seasalter) 6&4; Anthony Wright (h14, Whitstable & Seasalter) beat John Humphreys (h17, Herne Bay) 4&2; Gary Tottman (h5, Canterbury) beat Robert Wilson (h11, Bearsted) 3&1; Keith Isham (h15, Hemstead Forest) beat Tony Ford (h20, Boughton) 4&3; Richard Randall (h2, Kings Hill) beat Barry Steven (h8, Sittingbourne); Mathew Dadson (h9, Kings Hill) beat Sheldon Fagg (h10, Boughton) 2&1; Felicity Dunderdale (h16, Tudor Park) beat Steve Hull (h16, Chelsfield Lakes) 1up; Anthony Piggott (h4, Boughton) walkover v Lance Errington (h8, Sheerness); Steve Brewer (h16, Chart Hills) beat Guy Bettesworth (h10, Littlestone) 3&2; Kevin Hood (h11, Wrotham Heath) beat Maria Clark (h29, Upchurch River Valley) 4&3; R Young (h17, Addington Court) walkover v Lee Isham (h9, Hemstead Forest); A Humphrey (h14, Wrotham Heath) beat Tom Robertson (h9, Shortlands) 1up; Aidan Maginnis (h14, Deangate Ridge) beat Brian Brooks (h20, Staplehurst) 5&4; Bob Mellin (h11, Ashford) beat David Stevenson (h9, North Foreland) 5&4; David Morgan (h9, West Malling) beat Trevor Hunt (h10, North Foreland) 4&3; Steve Noble (h14, Sittingbourne) beat Stephen Girdwood (h9, Canterbury) 4&3; Jeff Thomas (h13, Bearsted) beat Martin Sheehan (h15, West Malling) 19th hole; Duncan Marsh (h13, Sheerness) beat David Botterill (h20, Deangate) 23rd hole.

Round 2 draw: Tony Sampson (h10, Redlibbets) v James Walsh (h10, Tudor Park), Andy Smith (h6, Kings Hill) v Tom Sampson (h7, Hemstead Forest), Barry Barnsley (h24 Royal Cinque Ports) v Ray Bridge (h14, Deangate Ridge), Terence Gilland (h13, North Foreland) v Steve Lovell (h4, Sittingbourne), Patrick Goode (h14, Canterbury) v Ivor Graham (h13, Bearsted), Anthony Wright (h14, Whitstable & Seasalter) v Gary Tottman (h5, Canterbury), Keith Isham (h15, Hemstead Forest) v Mathew Dason (h9, Kings Hill) Steve Brewer (h16, Chart Hills) v Anthony Piggott (h4, Boughton Park), A. Humphrey (h14, Wrotham Heath) v Felicity Dunderdale (h16, Tudor Park), Kevin Hood (h11, Wrotham Heath) v Aidan Maginnis (h14, Deangate Ridge), George Hook (h22, Sheerness) v Bob Mellin (h11, Ashford), Trevor Sandford (h17, Tudor Park) v Steve Noble (h14, Sittingbourne), Duncan Marsh (h13, Sheerness) v Jeff Thomas (h13, Bearsted), David Tottman (h6, Canterbury) v Peter Webber (h21, Bearsted), Richard Randall (h2, Kings Hill) v William Pearson (h8, Canterbury), David Morgan (h9, West Malling) v R Young (h17, Addington Court).