UP-AND-COMING Malton & Norton Golf Club ace David Hague has risen into the top 100 in Europe's amateur rankings after an excellent outing in the Italian Amateur Championship.

In the event held over four days at the Acaya Golf and Spa Resort near Lecce, Hague carded rounds of 69, 79, 66 and 73, culminating in a very creditable seventh place - and enough world amateur ranking points to lift him up to 92nd in the European list.

It followed his 36th-placed finish at the Portuguese International Amateur ranking event at the Montado Hotel and Resort in February, and then his tournament victory on the Evolve Pro Tour in Spain, when he beat a quality field including 27 professionals at La Serena, in Murcia.

Hague, who plays off a plus-three handicap, came fourth in the North of England Amateur Championship last year and was twice a winner on the Yorkshire Order of Merit series, triumphing at the Pannal Rose and Vardon Grip events to place third in the final county rankings.

He also qualified for the Brabazon Trophy and reached the third round of the matchplay stage of the English Amateur Championship at Ganton.

Within the York Union of Golf Clubs last year, he won the Open, Matchplay, Crossley Trophy and Order of Merit.

His upcoming ranking events are the Hampshire Hog Competition at the North Hants GC on April 16, which provides an opportunity to gain England Order Of Merit points, followed by the West of England Open Amateur Strokeplay at Saunton and Royal North Devon GC, from April 22 to 24.