Staff report

NEWTON — Area golfers Walker Cress, Michael Childress and Davis Richards were strong again on Thursday as stroke-play qualifying concluded for the 10th North Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship being held at Catawba Country Club.

Raleigh’s Quinn Riley earned medalist honors, with a 9-under 131 total and will be the No. 2 seed for match play behind defending champion Brandon Einstein of Clemmons.

Cress, who starred in high school at Concord and is now a rising senior at James Madison University, shot 7-under 133. He was second in qualifying and will be seeded third for match play.

Childress, a Salisbury native who graduated from Cannon School and is now a rising sophomore at Richmond, shot 68-69 — 137 and finished 3-under to tie for fifth in qualifying.

Childress, who made seven birdies in the first round, made five more birdies on Thursday to off-set four bogeys.

Childress is seeded seventh for match play.

Richards, who starred at South Rowan and played at N.C. State, also tied for fifth at 3-under, shooting rounds of 71-66 — 137. Richards had a terrific round on Thursday that included four birdies on the front nine and is seeded No. 6 for match play.

Stephen Carroll (Concord, East Carolina) shot 70-74 — 144 and missed the cut by one shot.

The field was trimmed to the top 31 scores after a six-for-five playoff. The cutline fell at 3-over 143.

The rounds of 32 and 16 will be conducted Friday.

Quarterfinals and semifinals will be held on Saturday.  The championship match is scheduled for Sunday.