Middlesbrough's Swash hoists himself to top of Yorkshire amateur leaderboard at Ganton with 67

Middlesbrough's James Swash, pictured after he posted the lowest 36-hole total at last month's Yorkshire Team Championship at Rotherham.

The front-runner for a long time had been 2010 champion Adam Frontal (Cookridge Hall), who shot a one-under-par 70.

Frontal was joined on that score by Lindrick’s Sam Rook, who recently led the qualifiers for the match play stage of the English men’s amateur championship and went on to make the last 16.

But by the end of the day they had two men in front of them in Swash and England and GB & Ireland international David Hague, of Malton & Norton, who shot a 68.

Hague finished tied for second alongside Fulford’s Charlie Thornton at last year’s championship when Hallamshire’s Alex Fitzpatrick was the runaway winner.

Fitzpatrick claimed the crown by 13 shots at Cleveland on an astonishing 23-under-par total, but is not defending his title as he went to the USA to compete in the US Amateur championship, where he reached the quarter-finals.

Meltham’s Tom Hunt is alone in fifth place after round one at Ganton on 71 while Hallamshire club-mates Nick King and Julian Wood both carded one-over-par 72. Thomas Duck is the hosts’ highest-placed player on 77.