BURNLEY amateur Michael Hunt proved he could cut it alongside the professionals after finishing second at the James Brearley Lancashire Open at Blackpool North Shore yesterday.

The 23-year-old carded a three-under-par 68 to add to his one-under total of 70 from the first round to finish one shot off the pace.

He improved on his fifth-place finish from last year but was uncertain as to whether he would compete in the event again in 12 months time - as a pro.

"I have proved I can live with them and I'm on a par with them," he said. "I have said before that I want to get into the England squad before I turn professional because I want to get my name known more. That is the best position to be in when you turn pro, in terms of getting sponsors.

"Obviously I can't say when that will happen but it will probably be the last thing I do as an amateur.

"I am still not sure when that is going to be, though, when I am going to turn pro. Something will tell me somewhere down the line."

Scott Astin , the Royal Lytham and St Annes-attached professional, won the £10,000 Lancashire Open.

Hunt's Lancashire team mate Richard Daniels also finished one shot off the lead to take second place alongside Hunt.

Hunt got off to the worst possible start, bogeying the first, but he birdied the third, fifth and the ninth to go out in two-under.

He then birdied the 11th to finish three under.

"I hit every green after the 11th," he said. "But I just couldn't get a putt, it wouldn't go in.

"But I am happy after the start I got to finish four under for the tournament.

"I played pretty solid. I didn't do anything majorly bad."

FINAL RESULTS: 137 S Astin (Royal Lytham & St Annes) 67,70; 138 *M Hunt (Burnley) 70,68, *R Daniels (Worsley Park) 69,69; 139 M Hollingworth (Denton) 72,67, *N Hughes (Gog Magog) 70,69, P Walker (Knott End) 67,72; 140 D Shacklady (Leisure Lakes) 69,71, M Bradley (Chorley) 69,71; 141 B Taylor (Houghwood) 74,67, J Payne (S&A) 71,70, *C Geraghty (S Annes Old Links) 71,70, *S Crompton (Hindley Hall) 70,71, I Taylor (Preston) 69,72, M Lyon (Royal Birkdale) 67,74.

*Amateur.