Mitchell's chance finally arrives

JACK MITCHELL is out to make the most of his delayed chance of becoming Channel Islands champion tomorrow. The Deutsche Bank Guernsey matchplay winner travels to Jersey to take on Richard Ramskill in the rearranged final at La Moye, which was originally due to take place a month ago.

It was put back because of the Jersey champion's attempt to qualify for the British Amateur Championship.

'I would say that I am the underdog, mainly because of the fact that it is in Jersey. But it is a good chance for me to show what I can do,' said Mitchell, whose father is travelling from Scotland to watch him.

'I have played against Richard before and he is a nice, genuine bloke. He has to be in good form to be playing in the British Amateur and he will know the roll of the greens there.'

The 20-year-old was in outstanding form in May when he won his first Guernsey title.

Since then he has been away on holiday, a trip that he booked believing the CI final would be on its usual June date, and so he has been practising hard over the past couple of weeks in preparation for 'the big one'.

'I have not played La Moye for a few years so the practice round will be key,' Mitchell said.

'It is a tough course and if the wind blows, it is a very long one, so it depends on your long game and putting the ball on the fairway.'

He will also be sticking to the strategy which served him so well over the L'Ancresse links a few weeks ago.

'It was to try not to go down in the match because if you get a couple behind, it is very hard to make it up,' Mitchell said.

'I will be trying to keep it in play, not lose ball and lose holes.

'If I play par golf away, I cannot really do much better than that. I want to make him make birdies to beat me - not give too much away.'