BLACKBURN teenager James Pierce hopes his second place finish in the Lancashire Boys Championships is just a taster for things to come.

The 17-year-old has set his sights on and even bigger prize: East Lancashire's major scratch trophy, the Harold Ryden championship.

"I'd very much like to win it and I am confident of my chances.

"Nobody thinks I can win but I think I can and the underdog can sometimes come through," said the QEGS sixth former, who reached the quarter-finals of last year's tournament at Pleasington, which was won by Burnley golfer Michael Hunt.

"It is being played at Blackburn as well this year which gives me even more of a chance."

But he knows he will have to overcome one of his club mates if he is to win the prize.

"Anthony Harwood knocked me out of ity last year and he is going to be strong again this year because he is on his own course too."

In the Lancashire Boys Championships at Nelson on Sunday, Pierce hit rounds of 71 and 69, to finish one stroke behind Matthew Baldwin from Hesketh, which brought his handicap down to two.

"It has come down so I am pleased about that but I was annoyed I didn't win on Sunday because I felt confident going into it. I fancied my chances really.

"I did okay in the first round but had a bad start in the second round, I was three over after three then I came back in 32 which was three under to finish one under overall.

"I got the putting going but I thought I'd lost my chance. But I kept grounding and got it back."

And now Pierce, who has represented Lancashire at Under 16s level, is setting his sights on the Lancashire Boys side.

"I think Lancashire has the best standard of boys' golf of any county. Hopefully I'll be playing for Lancashire Boys this season. "I have played at Under 16s but not at Boys level, which is Under 18s. That is my aim for this year.

"I have been told that I should be in the squad to play Durham in a couple of weeks but we'll have to wait and see. The selector said he would ring me."

Pierce is currently studying for his A Levels and is due to take his AS exams in a few weeks time - interfering in no small part with his golf.

"I have to do a bit of both at the moment. I am doing my AS levels starting in a couple of weeks so I am going to miss the Lancashire Championships at Fairhaven which start on May 21.

"But I am going to play in the British Boys Championships at Carnoustie in late August."

Pierce is hoping to follow in the footsteps of local golfers Paul Dwyer and Nick Dougherty by eventually turning pro.

"Turning pro is my main aim but it's a difficult thing to do," he said. "In the short term, I am just looking to get my handicap down even further."