GOLF: Hinton takes on best in United States (From The Oxford Times)

GOLF: Hinton takes on best in United States

10:40am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Golf By Mike Knox

Thame amateur Craig Hinton, who qualified for last year’s Open Championship at Royal St George’s Sandwich, will be flying the flag for England in a United States event this weekend.

The 23-year-old, from the Oxfordshire Golf Club, is one of six players picked by England Golf to compete in the Jones Cup Invitational at Ocean Forest Golf Club, Sea Island in Georgia.

A field of 84 top amateurs from the US and around the world, will compete over 54 holes of stroke play for this prestigious title.

Hinton is no stranger to America having spent a short spell at college in Kentucky.

He enjoyed a successful 2011 season, finishing tied sixth in the Portuguese Amateur, equal fifth in the Brabazon Trophy and joint ninth in the Welsh Open Stroke Play.

Those performances helped him finish ninth on the EGU Order of Merit, while he also made his full England debut in the Home Internationals in Ireland.