ELGA CHAMPION Michael Hunt has decided not to turn professional.

The 23-year-old announced at the Burnley Golf Club end-of-season presentation evening that he would spend at least another 12 months as an amateur.

He said: "With my handicap at plus two as it is now I can get into some big amateur competitions next season.

"It would have been so easy for me to go from an amateur doing bits and bobs in Lancashire to being a pro in the big wide world not doing much.

"I want to try to make a name for myself in amateur golf first."

It has been an amazing season for Hunt, who began the year with a handicap of one.

His aim for the season was to get down to scratch and he achieved that, after a small scare, at the Lancashire Amateur Championships in May.

He said: "I was playing at Silloth in the Cumbrian Order of Merit event and I needed to get a good score in the second round to stop my handicap from going back to two.

"I ended up shooting three under. Then I shot one over, two under and five under in the Lancashire Amateur, finished fifth and got my handicap down to scratch."

Hunt then won the East Lancashire Championships as part of a four-strong Burnley side and then tasted individual success at the Harold Ryden Championships.

"That was a great week," he said. "I'll never forget winning that."

He then became the Burnley club champion, setting an 'unbeatable' course record of 62 in the process.

"Clifford (Hopwood, Burnley club captain) said when Graham Howarth set the previous record of 64 he didn't think it would ever be beaten and now he says only him and Ben (Scott) could beat it but even that is unlikely," said Hunt.

"To have someone like Cliff, who has been playing up there for 20 or 30 years, say that is amazing."

Hunt is planning to spend a few weeks out in Spain at the beginning of next year in preparation for next season.

"A lot of big amateur stuff starts mid-April so me and Ashley (Siddle) are planning to go out there for a few weeks of good weather and practice.

"Then we will probably play in the Spanish Amateur and the Portuguese Amateur."

Hunt's aim for next season is to make himself a regular in the Lancashire side, after making his debut for the B team this year.

"I said when I first started playing for ELGA that I wanted to make the full Lancashire side and that is still my aim. I had one game for the B side this year but hopefully next year I will get into the A side and make myself a regular fixture.

"And Lancashire send six players to the Northern Counties Championships, which is at Silloth next year. To play in that would be awesome but first I have to establish myself in the county side. And then hopefully the England selectors will start taking some notice and I don't think the Walker Cup is out of my league, although that would mean staying amateur for another year after next."