Danny's red-hot putter sinks champ

DANNY CARRE tore up the formbook to beat defending champion Tom Le Huray on the second extra hole of this year's island junior matchplay final. 'He putted phenomenally well and I'm chuffed for him,' said Junior Club president Colin Le Huray. 'It will do him the world of good.'

The end came when Le Huray three-putted the second second time around and Carre holed from around four feet for his par and victory.

It had been close all afternoon, with Carre establishing a two-hole lead by winning the ninth, but the champion hit back with wins on 11 and 14 to level.

The finalists exchanged the 15th and 16th and, after halving the 17th, Le Huray looked favourite to wrap it up by putting his iron to within 12ft of the last.

But his birdie putt slid agonisingly past and Carre, from the furthest point of the green, got down in two with a brave six- to seven-foot putt to keep the match alive.

Both players had endured a tough semi-final in the morning.

Le Huray had holed a six-footer on 18 for a winning three finally to overcome Danny O'Brien, while Carre was also taken the distance by 11-year-old Luke Blondel.

Carre had made the early running until Blondel won three in a row to go all-square on the 13th.

Blondel won the 15th to inch ahead and had a four-footer for the win at 16, but missed to let Carre off the hook.

The younger player then just put his drive up 17 out of bounds to be pegged back to all-square and he also three-putted the last to succumb in painful fashion.