ENGLAND golf selectors have given Martin Young the perfect Christmas present - his first international cap.

The 32-year-old Brokenhurst Manor player has been called up to represent his county in a two-man team for the prestigious Copa Monterrey Trophy in Mexico on April 3-6.

Young will team up with Swindon's Martin Sell, beaten finalist in the British Championship, for the big Mexican event which will involve 30 countries.

"It's the biggest boost I could possibly have," beamed Young, who remains very much a weekend golfer.

He's a contracts manager for a building company in Poole and it's only through the encouragement of an understanding boss that he can find time to play in the bigger tournaments and practise with the various England squads at EGU headquarters in Woodhall Spa.

He's recently been promoted from the England B squad to the A squad, which is just one rung below the elite group who should form the nucleus of the GB and Ireland Walker Cup team next summer.

Young won the Lagonda Trophy in 2000, was a quarter-finalist in the English Championship last year and is a past winner of the coveted Hampshire Salver, awarded for the best combined score in the Selborne Salver and Hampshire Hogg tournaments. Once over 30 years of age there's a tendency to wonder whether England caps have passed you by, but Young says: "If ever I needed a spur to take my game on this is it.

"You only have to look at someone like Gary Wolstenholme to see that age doesn't matter. He's over 40 and he's still the best amateur golfer we've got. He's an inspiration."

Young plays off plus one and will become an increasingly influential player for Hampshire after the loss of Darren Henley and Alan Mew to the professional ranks.

He won five out of six matches for Hampshire in the English County Finals last September and with his brother Jonathan, who plays off one, will remain an automatic pick by the new county captain Kevin Weeks, another Brokenhurst Manor legend.

"Lionel Smith, the retiring captain, did a a terrific job," says Young, "but Kevin will have the advantage of actually still playing.

"But it won't be easy for him losing two important players like Darren and Alan, and just to make life more difficult for him, a couple of our league matches clash with big tournaments which means that I might have to dip out and possibly David Porter as well."

Young is making the amateur majors his priority next summer.

"I will play in as many big tournaments as I can," he said. "If I do well with Martin in Mexico and have a good result or two in the big competitions in Walker Cup year, then, who knows, I might put myself into contention."