Eggo and 'Le God' deny the boy wonder

THE home-grown football legend that is Matthew Le Tissier has achieved his first golfing accolade and did so on local soil by winning Guernsey's golfing major, the Investec L'Ancresse Open. A member of Hampshire-based Stoneham club, six-handicap Le Tissier entered the L'Ancresse Open courtesy of his fee being paid by his uncle Peter Blondel in exchange for FA Cup final tickets.

The former England international will now be thinking he came off with the better deal because he is the first winner of the new silver trophy donated by new sponsor Investec.

Le Tissier is more at home of late on the golf course than the football pitch and as he teed off in the Saturday morning heat he had brother Kevin on the bag and was partnered by cousin Jamie Blondel.

Given Jamie Blondel's form this year, Le Tissier knew that if he could keep ahead of his cousin's game, he would have a chance of being among the prizes.

But he went one better and with a 71 gross, net 65, he took the prize on countback from junior prodigy Jack Mitchell.

Having kicked off his round with two pars, Le Tissier dropped shots at the short third and long fourth holes before halving the damage with a birdie at the par-five sixth.

As the temperature climbed, so did 'Le God's golf and he played his remaining 12 holes in level par.

Back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th holes put Le Tissier back on track, having bogeyed the two previous holes and pars all the way down the stretch gave Guernsey's proudest sporting product his maiden golf success.

Given the excellent condition of the course and greens, the talk before Saturday's Open was about the threat of the course record being beaten and a score in the low sixties would certainly be needed to win off handicap.

However, the stifling heat was too much for most and with sweaty clubs slipping through most players hands, the difficulty was highlighted by level-par rounds of 70 earning prizes.

As he teed off in the late afternoon, all eyes were on course record-holder Bobby Eggo as he went out in defence of his L'Ancresse Open scratch title.

Out in level par, Eggo would need a two-under-par back nine to beat clubhouse leader Roland Mills on 69 gross.

The South African-born Mills, who had played through the midday sun, had led the scratch standings for most of the day.

But with three birdies and a bogey over his closing holes, Eggo came in with the necessary 33 gross back nine and in so doing successfully defended his title - just.

Late in the day, Eggo's 68 was matched by young Jack Mitchell, 16.

Ultimately, though, it was a tale of woe for him.

Despite following eight pars with a chip-in birdie at the last for a one under par back-nine of 34, the talented youngster was left ruing the countback ruling as it denied him the most prestigious of L'Ancresse Open doubles.

Not only had the Guernsey junior lost out on countback to Eggo for the scratch title, the three-handicap was edged out by Le Tissier for the main prize.

There was some consolation for the St Sampson's schoolboy, though.

He is now exactly a two-handicap and he went home with a hand-held television, courtesy of Investec, for being runner-up.