Yorkshire golf: English champion Dan Brown hoists Red Rose flag high in South Africa

The English men's amateur champion posted scores of 70 67 67 68 and was just three shots back of winner Edgar Catherine, of France, and only one shot off a tie for second with Ireland's Robin Dawson.

The Oaks' James Walker tied 50th with scores of 75 68 71 73.

A feature of Brown's week were birdie bursts that punctuated each of his rounds.

The Yorkshire county player was three over par after the first nine holes of the tournament, but three birdies in six holes on the back nine redressed the balance.

On day two, Brown was out in level par before kicking into gear with four birdies on the spin, a run halted with a bogey at 15.

In the third round he threw in his birdie blitz early on with another sequence of four in succession, from the third, and played the remaining holes all in par bar a dropped shot at 14.

Four birdies in the first six holes in the final round were largely subdued by three dropped shots between the ninth and 14th, but a fifth birdie of the day at the 15th enabled him to tie for third with France's Frédéric LaCroix.

Walker could not find a single birdie on day one, but on day two produced a two-under par 68 that included only four pars - and none on the back nine.

He had three birdies and a bogey going out as a prelude to an adventurous inward half that encompassed five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey.

Day three was calm by comparison, with two birdies and three bogeys, and after a fine start with a birdie at the first, his final round tailed off with four bogeys and no further shots gained to par.

Brown and Walker, the Selborne Salver holder, are in South Africa as members of a four-strong England squad.

As well as competing at the South African stroke play championship, they will play the Cape Province Open, at George GCand Oubaai GC (February 14-16), the South African Amateur, at Humewood Golf Club, Port Elizabeth (February 19-24), and the African Amateur stroke play championship, at Leopard Creek Golf Estate (February 28 to March 3).

Last year Meltham's Jamie Bower - who recently turned professional - won both the Southern Cape Open and Gauteng North Open while touring South Africa with the national squad, and went on to win the Brabazon Trophy, the English stroke play championship.