BROOME Manor ace Miles Mackman will fly the flag for Wiltshire today at the British Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes and St Annes Old Links.

Swindon's England under 21 international is bidding to go one better than 2002 finalist Martin Sell, from Wrag Barn, who lost one-up to Spaniard Alejandro Larrazabal in the Championship decider at Royal Porthcawl .

Mackman, a plus two handicapper, is one of 288 players from 29 countries who will tee up to compete for the top prize in amateur golf.

The winner receives an exemption into next month's Open Championship at Carnoustie and the 2008 US Masters at Augusta, while a strong performance could also lead to selection for the 2007 Walker Cup team.

Mackman said: "This is the biggest tournament of the year for amateur golfers with the strongest field in the world.

"I'm very excited to be involved, but as this is my first time at the Amateur I don't really know what to expect.

"My game is in pretty good shape, but I've only played Royal Lytham once and I've never played St Annes Old Links apart from in practice."

The first stage of the Championship involves two rounds of strokeplay, one to be played on each of the two courses.

The lowest 64 scores (and ties for 64th place) progress to the matchplay stage of the Championship, which commences on Wednesday over Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Each match will consist of one round of 18 holes, except the final, which will be played over 36 holes.

Mackman will hope to reproduce the form which saw him lift the Lagonda Trophy in Cambridgeshire earlier this month, when he shot a dazzling four-round score of 267, 13 under par for the Old Course at Gog Magog.

He will face stiff competition from England's most capped international Gary Wolstenholme, who is looking to join an elite group of players to have won the Championship three times, after previous successes at Ganton in 1991 and Royal Troon in 2003.

"There are some excellent golfers here, so it's going to be very tough," said Mackman.

"I don't get to play links courses very often, but when I do I really enjoy them.

"I just hope the weather doesn't spoil it and we get to shoot some low scores."

The American challenge will be spearheaded by Luke List, the talented college player who replaced the injured David Howell at last week's US Open.

List may have missed the halfway cut at Oakmont, but this year's Jones Cup winner will fancy his chances around the Lancashire links.

Mackman's challenge begins at 2.57pm today at St Annes Old Links, where he will peg up alongside Prenton's Craig Lewis and German Stephan Gross.

The ex-St Joseph's schoolboy completes his strokeplay challenge at 10.23am tomorrow over the Royal Lytham & St Annes course.

Mackman will hope to still be involved in the action on Saturday, when the final is scheduled to take place at Royal Lytham, 10 times the venue for the Open Championship.

"To play at The Open would be very nice indeed but I'm not even thinking about that at the moment," said Mackman.

"I just want to get through to the matchplay on Wednesday and then anything can happen."