James Smith jets out to Japan tomorrow, bound for Hyogo where he will be playing in the World Junior Team Championships.

Smith, from Bromley, is one of four youngsters in the England under-18 party and the first Kent-based player to have ever been chosen to play in this prestigious event in which England are the defending champions.

The 17-year-old made an impressive international debut when he was part of the England team which won the Home International tournament for the fifth time in succession last summer.

Smith earned his call-up for Japan despite a roller- coaster performance in the McEvoy Trophy at the Copt Heath course, in Solihull.

He said: “I carded 78 in the first round and was in danger of missing the cut. But in round two, I had three amazing back-to-back holes which transformed my fortunes.

“First, I had a hole-in-one at the 129-yard fifth, then a very good solid par, followed by an eagle.” But holes-in-one are nothing new to the Sundridge Park Club player, who has six times scored an ace on the East Course – the first when he was just 11.

“To be honest, I did not see the ball go straight in for the hole-on-one as there was an elevated bunker obscuring my view to the flag,” said Smith.

“Fortunately, a Golf Union official saw the ball drop to confirm the ace and I ended with a round of 69.

“The England selectors have kept faith with me and, hopefully, I can can reward them in Japan.” Smith also qualified for the final of the highly prestigious Daily Telegraph Junior Champion-ship, played in South Africa last October.

But the experience proved invaluable for Smith, as he showed in the German Amateur Champion-ship at Am Alten Fliess, where he finished a highly creditable 16th.

Smith added: “During last year, I secured a place at the England School of Excellence after coming sixth in the Under-18 Championship, an event used as a selection pointer for the four-strong team which goes to Japan. “Obviously, I am thrilled to be going but it is going to be extremely humid and hot in Hyogo. However, we will have some time to become acclimatised with the conditions, as we will arrive in Tokyo five days before the event starts.” Smith also recently won Blackheath Medal Championship by what is believed to be the biggest-ever margin.

He carded a fine a one-over par round of 71 to win the oldest junior tournament – it has been played for 157 years – in the country by four shots from Sittingbourne’s Jonathon Hearn.

Last week, Smith’s golf learning curve took on greater emphasis when he travelled to Ayrshire for the Amateur Open Championship, acknowledged as the top amateur event in the world, where he was one of the three youngest playing and had entered for the first time.

Smith said: “Around 300 players representing 29 countries were competing, with some from as far afield as Australia and Zimbabwe. The first round was played at the Irvine course, where I carded a round of 74.

“We played round two on the famous Royal Troon course and I was going well until the 16th, which I double bogeyed. Although I parred the next, I double-bogeyed the last as well to finish with a two-round score of 152.

“But those four dropped shots were to prove very costly, as the cut, which I missed, was 148. “Even so, I still enjoyed my first experience of playing against many of the best amateurs in the world.”