JON Hurst will lead East Lancashire’s charge at next week’s English Amateur Championships as the Pleasington ace bids to improve on his excellent quarter-final finish of 12 months ago.

The 25-year-old made his major breakthrough last year when reaching the last eight at Litton Aston and Sutton Coldfield, alongside eventual winner Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Lewis, who stunned the golfing world last week when leading the Open Championship at Sandwich.

It proved the beginning of an impressive 2010 for Hurst, later finishing tied fifth at the South of England Open and helping steer Lancashire to their 10th English County Championship, perform-ances that captured the eye of England selectors.

Now, as this year’s national amateur showpiece heads to Woburn, starting on Monday, the county star is hoping for more of the same.

“This is the big one,” said Hurst. “It’s a massive springboard if you do well.

“I’m with the England set-up now and that came off the back of a good performance in the English Championships 12 months ago. It started things off for me.

“From start to finish last year, I played really strong golf. I’d love to do the same again.

“I struggled at the start of this year. I had a couple of missed cuts, including one at the Lytham Trophy which was disappointing. But I’m coming into a bit of form this summer.

“I will be wanting to impress the England guys to show that I should be part of their elite squad. If I can do that at Woburn, it will be a massive box ticked for me.”

He added: “I did some winter training with the England squad, at Arcos Gardens in Spain, working on my short game. It was really good practice for the season ahead.”

Hurst is one of seven golfers from East Lancashire heading to Woburn, a club heavily associated with England’s Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter.

His Pleasington club-mates Jack Brooks, Michael Hunt and Sean Nicholls are also in the field, along with Chorley’s Andrew Palmer and Hurst Green-based Mark Young.

The format for the first two days of the championship is 36-hole stroke-play, played on both courses, Marquess and Duchess.

The lowest 64 scores then enter the matchplay stage, with the final taking place on Saturday, July 30.