Gary Boyd was able to reflect on a “good week” after shining in the Open Championship at Sandwich.

The 24-year-old, who hails from Middleton Cheney, near Banbury, where his parents live, took great encouragement from making the cut in a major championship for the first time.

After two rounds, he was just five shots off the lead held jointly by eventual winner Darren Clarke and former US Open champion Lucas Glover following rounds of 71 and 70.

He finished the tournament tied in 38th place with further rounds of 76 and 73 – often playing when the rain and wind were at their worse – for a four-round total of 290 – 15 strokes behind Clarke.

Speaking from Woburn GC in Bucks – the club he is attached to – where the Ian Poulter Junior Invitational was taking place yesterday, Boyd said: “It was a little bit frustrating with the weather on Saturday that I got caught in the middle of it.

“Generally it was a good week, and a good learning week, and making my first cut in a major is not a bad achievement and also to be in contention going into the weekend.

“I was planning to push on and maybe look at winning on Sunday, but the weather didn’t help me that much.

“On Saturday it was very tough. They were some of the toughest conditions I have played in, to try and stay dry and keep my golf ball dry at the same time, and the weather put me out of contention.

“Sunday was just a day to go out and enjoy and push for a higher place and world ranking and order of merit points.

“They were the windiest conditions again and I felt I came off the golf course with a pretty decent score looking at everyone else.

“I learnt a lot and where I need to improve and also about my strengths.

“I need to work on my putting. I had eight three-putts in the week and if you take those out I would maybe have had a top-ten finish.

“My chipping also needs improvements.

“But bunker play has always been a great strength of mine and also the way I drove the ball.”

However, Boyd, who lives at Silverstone, didn’t feel his performance represented a career breakthrough.

“I feel I was already at that stage,” he added.

“I had a great year in my first year as a pro last year, finishing fifth in the order of merit and towards the end of the year was when I played my best golf.”

Now Boyd, who was previously attached to the Cherwell Edge GC, is looking forward to the Irish Open at Killarney next week.

“It is going to be a pretty strong field,” he added. “I played there last year and it is a very good golf course where you need to hit it pretty well off the tee.”