McFarlane KO's the defending champion

THE defending champion has gone, but there were no shocks as the Island Championship quarter-finalists were decided last night.

Jack Mitchell's reign may have ended, but it was certainly no disgrace to lose to Garry McFarlane, who maintained his remarkable form with a 4 and 3 win over his L'Ancresse clubmate. But on a night when all bar one of the matches had finished by the 16th, it was an epic encounter between two Guernsey regulars that caught the eye.

From as early as the sixth hole, it was obvious the clash of Jamie Blondel and Nigel Vaudin was going to go down to the wire. It did that and more as the handshake finally came on the 21st green long after sunset.

Vaudin emerged victorious as his opponent became the only seed to be knocked out yesterday, but it was a tale full of dramatic twists and wonderful golf.