What a week it has been for Huddersfield’s rising golf star Nick Marsh.

He set off for The English Amateur Championships in Saunton, Devon, last weekend brimming with confidence.

He had just notched up 12-shot victory in the Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths’ Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship on the St Andrew’s Jubilee course.

The previous month he was runner-up in the Scottish Men’s Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Panmure, coming from lower down the field with a blistering final round.

And he got off to a flying start at Saunton, qualifying second, one shot behind fellow England team mate Ryan Evans, of Wellingborough, in a field of 288.

The Fixby man, still only 19, shot a 66 and 72 for a four-under par 138 to take him comfortably through to the last 64 matchplay stage.

A challenging wind presented testing conditions for the two qualifying strokeplay rounds and he was one of only a handful to tame the breezy north Devon links course and finish under par. His first round 66, the low round of the week, included an eagle and four birdies and just one dropped shot.

He said: “I was very steady from tee to green and I don’t think I missed a fairway. I also putted much better, while I also made two up-and-downs for par which kept the momentum going.”

Metham’s Jamie Bower put in a creditable performance, finishing nine over par for the two rounds, for 129th place.

Marsh signalled his intent on the first day of matchplay, by running up the biggest winning margin of the day; 7&6 over England boys’ squad member Billy Spooner.

He was four up through the first eight holes and also won the ninth, 10th and 12th to wrap up his win, saying: “I didn’t hit it as close as yesterday, but Billy had two unplayable lies.”

Things got much tighter on Thursday when Marsh was all square after 18 holes with Luke Johnson, of Kings Lynn. Marsh led for most of the way but Johnson battled back and made a great up-and-down at the last from below the green to force extra time.

But the Yorkshireman showed his grit and took the match on the 19th ,setting up a quarter final tie with local favourite, Saunton player Jake Burnage.

Burnage was three down after four in his match, but spurred on by the large home crowd cheering him on, he found three birdies in four holes to win 1up.

The Huddersfield man surely has to be the favourite to progress to the semis, although he’ll have to mentally battle the partisan home crowd as well as his opponent. He is now the only one of the four England internationals left in the competition, after Ryan Evans lost his match 2&1.

.... add in friday scoring ...

The Championship concludes this weekend.