A professional golfer is tonight hoping to putt himself in contention for the final of BBC's MasterChef.

Dad-of-two James Skelton from Bearsted has made it through to the semi-finals of the competition with his "skilful" meals which have impressed judges John Torode and Greg Wallace.

The specialist instructor and home-cook, aged 38, has served up a range of British-style dinners and desserts which have sent other challengers into the rough.

With recipes such as a mouth-watering flaky baked crusted cod, to roasted bay leaf scallop, the golf coach has stayed the course in the battle to become the next top chef in the country.

James, who owes his love of cooking to a trip to Italy in his early 20s, is one of the eight cooks left in the competition.

The golfer will tonight take on the invention test, in which contestants were tasked with creating a dish inspired by either a chicken or an egg after shopping at a market to choose their ingredients.

Two contestants will go home, while the final six will travel to London to cook a three-course menu for The Royal British Legion.

Under the supervision of Glynn Purnell, head chef of Michelin-starred Purnell’s Restaurant in Birmingham, the teams will prepare food for the centenary celebrations of The Poppy Appeal.

Having played in professional golf tournaments, James is no stranger to pressure.

He said: "I think my goal when I go on is to try to focus and make sure that my timings are as good as I can get them."

James, whose favourite dish to prepare is a beef Wellington, has soaked up all the support he has been given from "all over the world".

If he is to progress, he and two others will get to take on a chef’s table challenge at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London.

The MasterChef semi-final airs tonight at 8pm on BBC One, the competition continues tomorrow at 8pm.