MIDDLESBROUGH teenager Tom Robinson is confident he can add his name to a roll of honour that includes former Open winner Sandy Lyle by winning the North Of England Open Amateur Championship this week at Middlesbrough Brass Castle, writes David Waterhouse.

England Under 18 international Robinson, 17, now off scratch, said: "I know I have a good chance of winning the Under 18 event but I really feel I can win the whole thing, especially with it being at my home course."

"Everything is coming together and I feel very confident," added Robinson, who finished third in qualifying for the Brabazon Trophy only to miss the cut after finishing with two double bogeys in his second round of 79.

"At the end of last season I saw my coach Mark Moore and he ironed out a lot of problems. My swing is really solid now and I am playing better than ever."

The tall left-hander from Marton, who finished 21st last year, will have his work cut out today as he tries to cut a swathe through one of the best fields seen at the event - with 36 of the 132 entrants playing off scratch or better.

Title-holder Peter Richardson, from Eden in Cumbria, reached the semi-final of last week's English Amateur at Alwoodley and six other entrants reached the final 32.

Among them is Joe Ferguson (Cleobury Mortimer), who knocked out the favourite Gary Wolstenholme and Andy Town (Northcliffe), who went out to the eventual winner Gary Lockerbie in the quarter-finals.

Barnard Castle's Robert Dinwiddie, who is currently on a golf scholarship in America, is also expected to challenge over the next three days.