Nigel Chesters so proud of Ashley in the Open

Joint winner of the English Mid-Amateur Championships in 2005, countless appearances for Shropshire & Herefordshire and the captain to end a 41-year wait for Midlands League glory for the two counties in 2008 are the stand-out highlights of an excellent amateur career which continues apace today.

But all those achievements will all be trumped by the sight of his son Ashley being announced on the first tee at the 143rd Open Championship at Hoylake tomorrow.

"It's going to be a brilliant week," said Nigel, who will be joined by wife Gina, daughter Ginny and a coachload of Hawkstone Park members supporting Ashley in Liverpool for the opening round.

"It does not get any better than your son playing in the premier Open in the world and that's how everybody sees the Open Championship.

"It's so hard to qualify. I tried to do it a few times and the best I did was to get to final qualifying for a Troon Open, but there were 92 professionals and four amateurs vying for three spots. It's so difficult.

"At the time, we didn't actually realise that one of the consequences of Ashley winning the European Amateur was a place in The Open.

"But Ashley was aware of it so full credit to him for getting the job done and winning under that type of pressure.

"We will all be a bit nervous when he's on the first tee on Thursday. Ash is an unassuming lad and I think he will be at his happiest when he has got all the paperwork, admin and everything else which goes with playing at The Open out of the way and he can let his clubs do the talking."

Even before Ashley sealed his spot at The Open courtesy of that European Amateur Championship success in Spain last August, 2014 was destined to be a special period for the Chesters family.

Stalwarts at Hawkstone Park, Wem-based Nigel and Gina are the focal points of the club this year as captain and lady captain respectively.

With impeccable timing, Captain's Day was held amid an air of excited expectancy at Hawkstone Park on Sunday to launch this most extraordinary golfing week in style.

A brief appearance from Ashley, who flew in from Finland in the morning before heading to Liverpool in the late afternoon, added to the feel-good factor of the day and gave the members the chance to send one of their own on his way armed with a mountain of good luck wishes.

"Ashley has always played his golf at Hawkstone," added Nigel. "He started at about six or seven and ironically he gripped the club left handed.

"I was naturally left handed but played golf right handed. We switched him around to right handed.

"By seven and eight he was playing regularly, by nine he had already had a couple of hole in ones. I used to give him a shot a hole over nine holes but we soon changed that.

"It wasn't long before he wasn't having a shot at the par threes because it became pretty clear he had an aptitude for it. He was off scratch by 13 or 14."

Progression to the higher echelons of the amateur game has followed for Chesters Jnr since - and now the biggest stage of them all awaits.