SCOTT Gregory will be bidding to become only the second Hampshire player to win the Silver Medal by finishing as the leading amateur at this week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.

That would see him emulate Justin Rose who famously chipped in from 50 yards on the 18th to finish tied for fourth alongside a certain Tiger Woods, playing in his fourth Open.

While the Corhampton man might not be realistically thinking of a top five finish on his Open debut, a very tangible goal for the 21-year-old from Corhampton is making the cut in order to play all four rounds.

For in all likelihood, that would be good enough to see him become just the 10th British Amateur Champion to earn the Silver Medal, awarded by the R&A to the leading non-professional player who makes the cut.

Having joined the illustrious honours board of past British Amateur Championship winners with his 2&1 victory over Scotland’s Robert Macintyre at Royal Porthcawl just a month ago, Gregory might be surprised to learn how few have gone on to land the Silver Medal since it was introduced back in 1949.

The nine past winners include Irish legend Joe Carr back in 1958, and Sir Michael Bonallack who played in five Opens alone as an amateur after winning the British Amateur Championship between 1961 and 1970.

The legend who went on to become secretary of the R&A claimed his sole Silver Medal in 1968 – the year Scott’s father Mike was born.

In more recent times Ryder Cup winning captain Jose Maria Olazabal, who went on to win two Green Jackets at the Masters, captured the prize at Royal St George’s in 1985 – but it was the year after he won the British Amateur at Formby.

Hertfordshire’s former British Boys Champion claimed the honour in 2011 at Royal St George’s but has struggled in the tour ranks despite landing his debut pro win at just the second attempt in Portugal.

And Sheffield’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the Selborne Salver at Blackmoor as an amateur in 2012, followed that up by claiming the Silver Medal at Muirfield in 2013 before embarking on a tour career that has seen the 2013 US Amateur Champion win twice and be touted for a Ryder Cup place in September.

Italian teenage sensation Matteo Manassero, who beat Lee-on-the-Solent’s Sam Hutsby in the final to earn his spot in the Open Championship at Turnberry in 2009, was the last British Amateur Champion to land the Silver Medal.

And ironically it is another Italian who stands between Gregory and the chance to match Manassero’s achievement this weekend.

Stefano Mazzoli, is the only other amateur in the 156-strong field at Troon. Qualifying for amateurs – and the hundreds of club professionals who enter Local Qualifying every year – has become steadily harder since 2003 when the R&A reduced the number of spots in the field for qualifiers from 16 to 12, in a bid to ensure the strongest field for the world’s oldest Major title.

Last year Alister Balcombe was the only amateur who made it through Final Qualifying at one of the four venues used to play at St Andrews, and this year none were successful.

Gregory himself has made it through to Final Qualifying for the past three years, but his victory at Porthcawl not only booked him an automatic starting place, it also will earn him the traditional invite to the 2017 Masters at Augusta, and provided he retains his amateur status till next summer, he will play in the US Open at Wisconsin’s Erin Hills.

But first Scott can savour playing in front of the 40,000-strong crowd expected daily at Royal Troon, which last hosted the Open back in 2004 when unknown American Todd Hamilton beat South Africa’s Ernie Els in a play-off.

And Gregory got the dream draw for today’s (Thursday’s) first round when he was paired with two past champions – 2001 winner David Duval – and Scotland’s Sandy Lyle, who won the Open at Sandwich in 1985 – two years before he became the first Brit to land a Green Jacket in 1988.

Duval has played at Augusta 11 times since making his debut in 1996 – finishing runner-up twice – while Lyle has played among the picturesque azaleas and rhododendrons 35 times in his long career, making the cut 17 times.