16-year-old stuns the field at Seaton Carew Golf Club with prestigious Seaton Salver success

Hayes, from Cheshire, was able to build on his morning two-under 69 by carding a one-over 72 in the afternoon to finish two shots ahead of Brancepeth Castle’s Daniel Fox.

Fox’s 143 total courtesy of rounds of 73 and 70 just wasn’t enough to topple Hayes at the top of the leaderboard.

And the teenager from Bramhall, and a member of the Cheshire County team, was left celebrating in glorious sunshine at the historic links.

The Seaton Salver was a qualifier for both the Yorkshire Order of Merit and Durham County Order of Merit.

The 36-hole event was in excellent condition with the hard and fast greens providing quite a challenge for many of the competitors.

Hayes led by one shot from Seaton Carew’s very own Alex Shaw after the first round with Cookridge Hall's Nathan Ali just one shot further back.

While some golfers appeared to find the afternoon's conditions more favourable, others struggled to maintain their morning form. Fox turned in the best performance after lunch carding a one-under 70, with Seaton Carew's Jamie Holmes just one shot behind.

But Hayes delivered a first victory in an event at this level for the teenager who, in an understated manner, described the course “in good nick and the greens really good.”

The youngster intends to revisit Seaton Carew in the autumn when the Northern Counties Championships will be staged in early October.