CHARLIE Preston has made a strong start to the English Amateur Championship, shooting a fine 66 at Sutton Coldfield to lie in second place with a round to go in the 36-hole qualifier.
Hampshire have a fine record in England Golf’s blue riband event – which has been won by the likes of Ryder Cup stars Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood – and Masters winner Danny Willett – over the last three decades.
That record was boosted by Meon Valley G&CC’s Harry Ellis becoming the youngest-ever winner at 16, 14 years ago, and Corhampton’s Scott Gregory becoming the eighth Hampshire player to reach the final since the competition began back in 1925.
Basingstoke GC’s Walker Cup ace Charlie Forster was the last Hampshire player to reach the last four of the English Amateur back in 2022 at Lindrick, although he also came close to making the quarter-finals two years later at Seaton Carew.
In total Hampshire players have reached the last eight seven times in the last 14 years, with Gregory reaching two semi-finals in 2014 and 2017, while Hayling’s Jamie Mist, who lost in the last eight in 2014, made the last four two years later at Yorkshire’s tough Ganton course.
Preston, who is a member at Hartley Wintney – where Justin Rose first played as a junior, has been playing well this summer, off the back of his first full year in the States, where he recorded his second victory for Iowa’s Indian Hills, winning the NJCAA Regional Championship by four shots.
Following on from his win in his very first event after starting in the spring term in the 2024/25, Charlie risen inside the top five in the NJCAA rankings in 2026.
But Preston got off to a slow start in the West Midlands, making a bogey five at the third hole, which only served to sparked a birdie blitz.
The 20-year-old made three-in-a-row from the fifth to get back in the red, and picked up three more shots in four holes from the 11th to get on the trail of early leader Mark Stockdale, from Woburn.
Preston reached the semi-finals of the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Championship for a second year in a row back in June – before making it through to Final Qualifying for The Open for the second year running, at Burnham & Berrow, earlier this month.
He completed his opening round by getting to six-under thanks to his seventh birdie of the day thanks to a two at the 17th,
The top 64 will qualify for the matchplay phase, which will be played at the host course Beau Desert, in Staffordshire, and Preston was in a very strong position tied for third, just two shots behind Stockdale, who also played at Sutton Coldfield.
The latter was playing at least a couple of shots easier than Beau Desert, which is regarded as the leading heathland course in the Midlands.
Preston has picked up two wins while playing in just three terms for Iowa’s Indian Hills College. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES
Business major student Preston, who missed the cut by two shots at Hoylake 12 months ago, will be happy to shoot anything close to par in Wednesday’s second round.
That will ensure a place in the draw for the five rounds of matchplay to follow, starting on Thursday, when the fight for the right to play in Sunday’s 36-hole final, will begin in earnest.
North Hants’ James Atkins playing in his second English Amateur, withdrew during the second round after shooting a 73 at Sutton Coldfield, on Tuesday.
Stoneham’s county champion Joe Buenfeld and clubmate Jack Warren have a chance to make hte last 64 along with Corhampton’s Max Blake, while reigning Hampshire strokeplay champion Jamie Markwick and last year’s Blackmoor Trophy winner George Saunders, from Liphook, were looking certain to miss the cut.
•FOLLOW LIVE SCORES IN ENGLISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP R2
THE other six Hampshire players to have appeared in the English Amateur final are: Flt Lt Cecil Hayward (1926); Ian Patey (1946 and 1950); Bobby Eggo (1987 and 1989); Kevin Weeks (1987); Steve Richardson (1989); Richard Bland (1993) and Scott Gregory (2014).
Harry Ellis became the youngest-ever winner of the English Amateur at just 16 in 2012 – breaking Sir Nick Faldo’s record. Picture ENGLAND GOLF
Hayling’s Patey won the first of his two finals, while Weeks, from Brokenhurst Manor, won the all-Hampshire final in 1987 – a feat matched by future Ryder Cup player Richardson, from Lee-on-the-Solent two years later, with Eggo, from Guernsey, who have been part of the Hampshire Golf Union for more than a century, dipping out again.
Corhampton’s Gregory joined Bland, from Stoneham, in losing a final at Saunton, in Devon, two years after Ellis broke Sir Nick Faldo’s record by two years, set in 1975.