Blondel's biggest win yet

JAMIE BLONDEL scored the best win of his career as he came within two strokes of a remarkable Credit Suisse and U. V. Trophy double at L'Ancresse. The island player landed the Credit Suisse for the best 72-holes scratch score by two shots from overnight leader Bobby Eggo and nearly took the U. V. off handicap, finishing just a stroke behind winner Julian Woodhard.

Blondel is no stranger to winning but admitted beating the Eggos and the cream of island golf over four days strokeplay was his top achieveent to date.

'To win the scratch over four days has to be my best win.

'I've done well in the handicap over the years and gone close a few times.

'I was steady again today and there were no major disasters.

'I knew I just had to keep it steady,' added the winner.

Playing in the company of Nigel Vaudin, who still retained a good chance himself as they started out in the late afternoon, helped the L'Ancresse member focus on the job in hand.

Out in 34, he returned in a one-over 36 for a level-par 70.

He double-bogeyed the 13th but those dropped shots were cancelled out by the birdies at five and the 15th.

Vaudin played solidly for a two-over 72 and finished joint second with Bobby Eggo whose own hopes were blown out of the water by a disastrous nine at the sixth.

The basis of his problems at the outward par five was a hooked tee shot and after mistakenly thinking he could hack his way back onto the fairway, he went out of bounds.

Out in 40, he returned in 32 with birdies at 10, 13, 15 and 16 for a two-over 72.

'I still even had my chances to win it even with a nine,' said the multiple Credit Suisse champion afterwards.

His 32 inward half was the best nine-hole stretch of the day, just beating his brother Andy's outward 33 in the day's lowest score, a gross 68 which lifted him up to fourth.

Eric Legg began the day heading the U. V. Trophy challenge but his hopes disappeared with a 10 at the sixth after it had started all so well with a birdie at the first.

His net 77 left him in eighth place, five shots behind the winner Woodhard, whose 71 gross, net 67, kept him one shot ahead of Blondel and young Ross Wheeler who finished with another solid round of 68 to take bragging rights among the Guernsey Junior Club boys for a few days.