LAST year's losing semi-finalist Tony Jackson of Blackburn, and Pleasington's Andy White fly the flag for East Lancashire into next week's British Mid-Amateur Championship at Walton Heath in Surrey.

Jackson recently reached the third round of the English Amateur Championship, while White heads for one of the biggest tournament's on the amateur calendar in good shape after sime impressive recent finishes.

White has moved up to ninth place in the Mitsushiba Northern Order of Merit after a third-placed finish in the Crompton Sword.

And after finishing fourth in the inaugural North-West Amateur Championship, played over 72 holes in successive days at Carlisle and Penrith, White fired a four-under par 67 in a club medal over his home course to reduce his handicap to one.

In the Cumbrian tournament, Pleasington colleague Gareth Gillatt finished 10th and the pair were in action yesterday in the county foursomes at St Annes Old Links.

Next week's British Mid-Amateur Championship, which is for players over the age of 25 and gets underway on Tuesday, will be a step up, however. The first target over the course, which has featured on the European tour, is to be one of the 64 qualifiers from 36 holes of strokeplay for the match-play stages.

And it's a challenge White is looking forward to in his biggest event of the summer.

"It attracts some of the top players, not just from Britain, and it's a big tournament.

"I'm hitting the ball well and you never know what can happen.

"Tony reached the semi-finals last year which was a fantastic achievement and it shows you've always got a chance if you can go there and play well," said White, who will take a break from his job as a greetings card salesman in an effort to deliver the goods himself.

Nelson have four players featuring in the latest Mitsushiba Northern Order of Merit Table.

Nick Uttley, who won over his home course last month to claim valuable points, is lying in third place.

Daniel Nutter is seventh, John Cockroft is 16th and Simon Fothergill 24th. Blackburn's Tony Flanagan is 25th.

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