Mitchell claims inaugural final

THERE was success for Guernsey's young hopeful and disappointment for their top 'senior' in the age-group Channel Island matchplay showdowns at L'Ancresse. Junior champion Jack Mitchell reaped the benefit of some excellent approach play over the closing holes to seal a 3 and 2 victory over his Jersey counterpart Alex Guelpa.

But behind him and playing in the first ever senior (over-55s) final L'Ancresse stalwart Roy Corbet could not hole a putt as he lost to Jersey's Geoff Ramskill, also on the 16th green.

Mitchell had a few putting woes of his own early on in his match.

The St Sampson's Secondary schoolboy three-putted on a couple of occasions during the opening five holes, but with Guelpa's swing a little out of sorts Mitchell clung on to a slender lead come the sixth.

Guelpa won the par five hole to level the match but Mitchell was determined not to let the Jersey junior champion have a sniff of the Channel Island title.

He responded with a birdie at the short seventh before following it up with another birdie at the eighth.

At the ninth Guelpa once again pulled his iron shot left of the target and Mitchell was handed a three up lead at the turn.

After two glorious strikes to the 10th green Mitchell three-putted from 15ft to hand Guelpa the hole, but with Keith Wheeler on the bag Mitchell kept his head and any doubts about the junior's touch on the green were quashed on the 11th where a 10ft birdie putt restored a three-up advantage.

The win one, lose one pattern continued over the following holes but on the 15th Mitchell homed in on his first CI title.

With the pin tucked front right, a birdie would be hard to achieve for any player, but having nearly landed the ball in the hole with his nine iron approach, the Guernsey champion stood over the 20ft return putt and his ball tracked its way into the back of the hole to go dormy three.

On the 16th Mitchell played safe not falling for the temptation of driving the green.

Guelpa, on the other hand, had to be attacking and drove pin high but left of the green to leave himself with a difficult chip.

Mitchell stuck a gap-wedge to a little outside 8ft away, but Guelpa put the Sarnian's celebrations on ice by holing a 20ft putt for birdie after he had left the chip short.

But the match was soon over.

With his proud mother and a good crowd watching Mitchell duly holed out for his fifth birdie of the round at the 16th and with the half in threes he had won a quality match 3 and 2.

The first nine holes of the seniors showdown were halved, but on the 10th Corbet broke the deadlock to go one up.

Unfortunately for the former island player this would be the first and last time he led.

Corbet found the bogey trail over the following four holes, losing three of them to be two down on the 16th tee.

Forced to go for the green and the pin set just over 300 yards away a fatted drive did not help Corbet's cause.

Ramskill got is par and the trophy went to Jersey.