BURNLEY amateur Michael Hunt was taking tips from the top prior to Open qualifying at the weekend - he took a cheeky lesson from former Ryder Cup captain Mark James!

Hunt, who got through to final qualifying after play-off success at the regionals at Ormskirk, played two practice rounds at Dunbar with the Pleasington pro Ged Furey on Friday and Saturday.

But the 23-year-old reckoned he needed another practice round, so put his name down next to 'James'.

When he got to the tee, he was suprised to see the top pro Mark James there!

"I didn't even think he would be at final qualifying," said Hunt.

"I thought he would be exempt. So when I put my name down I had no idea 'James' was him.

"So 20 minutes after finishing a round with Ged I was back at the tee with Mark James and two other European Tour pros.

"I learned so much off him. I asked him quite a bit about when he turned pro and what sort of standard he was and what I need to be working on.

"He said you just have to hit the practice green all the time.

"I reminded him of him when he was younger, off plus one but inconsistent.

"He said you have to work on your swing, it's good but it needs to be consistent.

"It was great, brilliant."

Hunt finished 12 over par after his two final qualifying rounds but said his score didn't reflect his performance.

"It wasn't a true reflection of what it was like," he said.

"On the first day I parred the first three but knocked it out of bounds on the fourth and ended up with a double bogey. Then I parred the next 14 and with the majority of those I was just getting on the wrong side of the pin so I was two-putting instead of going for the birdie.

"The greens are horrendous up there, you can't get close to them, you just try to two-put and walk away with a par.

"But then I bogeyed the 17th and 18th to finish on 75.

"On the second day I was just up and down. I just had to go for it to have any chance and I started with a birdie.

"Then I three-putted on a par five for a par so I could have had another birdie there.

"The third, I put it in a bunker for a bogey, then birdied the fourth to go one under. Then I parred all the way round to 11 and 12 which I double bogeyed.

"Then I birdied the 13th and had a nightmare on the last.

"I knew I was nowhere near, I was just enjoying it.

"I hit it into the rough and I said to Ben (Scott), who was caddying for me, that I was just going to lay up to chip and putt.

"But he said 'What are you on about? All these people haven't turned up here today to watch you lay up. You have to go for it' so I did.

"But the shot went right over the green and hit this woman!

"Luke Donald, a US Tour player, was trying to practice his putting and he had this chopper Hunt walking up and down!

"But I knew I just had to enjoy it and I did.

"Everyone has been saying to come back next year and try again - so I will."