GOLF: Tim Dainty is the new Suffolk junior strokeplay champion after a decisive six shots triumph over his closest rival at Felixstowe Ferry.Seventeen-year-old Dainty, from Stoke-by-Nayland, had rounds of 73 and 69 to collect the Mackenzie Cup from Fynn Valley's Chris Smith.

GOLF

TIM Dainty is the new Suffolk junior strokeplay champion after a decisive six shots triumph over his closest rival at Felixstowe Ferry.

Seventeen-year-old Dainty, from Stoke-by-Nayland, had rounds of 73 and 69 to collect the Mackenzie Cup from Fynn Valley's Chris Smith.

Dainty had to come from behind to win this prestigious event. Paul Dobson, son of PGA professional Tony who runs both the Bourne Vale Golf Centre and Stonham Barns, was the halfway leader by two shots after a morning round of one under par 71.

But in the afternoon Dobson could do no better than 79 and was overtaken by Dainty, Smith and Matt Stockdale (Rushmere) and Fynn Valley's Ross Cracknell.

Dainty's second round of 69 would have been even better had he putted better on the pars fives.

He three-putted three of the par fives when he had obviously hoped for birdies, but he was using a borrowed putter.

He needed to par the tough three closing holes, played into the increasing wind, to beat the Felixstowe junior record of 68 set by his elder brother Simon who has just turned professional.

In the event he dropped a couple of shots, but it did not matter as far as the rest of the field was concerned.

Ironically, Dainty had only decided to play the previous evening after finishing runner-up in the Stoke-by-Nayland junior event. He took the place of club-mate Jamie Moul who had to drop out because he was competing in the English Amateur Championship at Walton Heath where he went out in the second round.

Now Dainty, who was runner-up in this event a couple of years ago, will be hoping to complete the double in the matchplay event that started at Rushmere today and will reach its conclusion on Thursday.

While Dobson's challenge faded in the afternoon, there were impressive performances from Stockdale and Cracknell.

Both players had rounds of 75 and 74 to emphasise the talent there is at junior level in Suffolk golf.

Rushmere's Andrew Robinson was regarded as one of the favourites to take the title, but after hitting two drives out of bounds at the opening hole in his first round, it left him a mountain to climb from which he was unable to recover.

The team event was won by Stoke-by-Nayland on countback from Fynn Valley. They will be sending a team of four to Woodhall Spa for an inter-county event on October 19 and 20.