Hampshire’s Harry Ellis launches the defence of his English Amateur Championship title today, a year after becoming the youngest ever winner of the tournament.

The Meon Valley star was just 16-years-old when he lifted the trophy at Silloth-on-Solway Golf Club, in Cumbria, last summer.

Ellis smashed the record for the youngest winner of the competition, beating the mark set by an 18-year-old Nick Faldo in 1975.

The England international will be hoping he can recapture the magic of that special week in the 2013 edition, which is being held at Frilford Heath, in Oxfordshire.

Ellis has had some notable successes again this season, winning the Hampshire Junior Championship and finishing as the top individual in the South East Boys Qualifying competition.

He also achieved runner-up honours in the Hampshire Hog and reached the final of the French International Boys Amateur Championship.

His form in the last few weeks has not been as sharp as he would have liked, but the 17-year-old will be a threatening presence if he makes it into the match play rounds.

If he wins, he would become the first player since Paul Casey, in 2000, to achieve back-to-back English Amateur titles.

Ellis will face stiff competition, though, including from a number of his county colleagues.

Chief among those is Corhampton’s Neil Raymond.

The Walker Cup hopeful is close with Ellis and paid tribute to him ahead of the tournament.

“Harry is a true champion,” he said. “He deserves all the credit and accolades that he gets. He’s a great player and a great friend.

“I hope Harry goes a long way, but equally I hope I do as well.”

Raymond is fresh from his victory with England in the European Men’s Amateur Team Championship, and is playing his first competitive individual tournament since the Brabazon Trophy in late June.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back out and playing,” he said. “I can’t wait to get out there. It’s a very good golf course, and hopefully my golf will take me as far as the final.”

Following his victory last year, Ellis became just the fourth Hampshire player to win the title, and the omens are good for another success for the county this time round, as the last time the English Amateur visited Frilford Heath, in 1987, it was won by Brokenhurst Manor’s Kevin Weeks.

As well as Ellis and Raymond, Hampshire’s bumper representation is made up of Martin Young and Jordan Ainley (both Brokenhurst Manor), Ben Wall and Jamie Mist (both Hayling), Elliot Groves (Stoneham), Scott Gregory (Corhampton), Billy McKenzie (Rowlands Castle), Remi Cake (Meon Valley), Obe Ayton (Liphook), Jack Owen (Sherfield Oaks) and Edward Holland (Hartley Wintney).

The top 64 players after the two stroke play qualifying rounds will advance to the knockout stages, which begin on Wednesday.