GOLF: Robin Mann may be in the autumn of his career, but Suffolk's leading player for so many years has still got it in him.Runner-up in the Suffolk Open at Ipswich in August, Mann went one better by winning the GHB Roofing Suffolk PGA Championship at Aldeburgh.

GOLF

ROBIN Mann may be in the autumn of his career, but Suffolk's leading player for so many years has still got it in him.

Runner-up in the Suffolk Open at Ipswich in August, Mann went one better by winning the GHB Roofing Suffolk PGA Championship at Aldeburgh.

Mann won by a massive eight shots from Hintlesham assistant Joe Maskall, and also set a new professional course record of 65 into the bargain.

The previous course record had been held by former Felixstowe Ferry professional Stephen MacPherson, now playing in Canada, but new tee positions meant that a new course had to be set.

Just to compound Mann's feat, it was his tenth success in this championship, and it is unlikely that it will ever be beaten.

Former Ipswich professional Laurie Ayton won it six times during the 1950s, but Mann's record is head and shoulders above that, and he still has the time and ability to win it again.

The former European Tour player made his mark in the opening round with a three under par 65, and barring any disasters, had made sure that he was going to win this championship for the first time since 1995.

Mann followed that up with a 71 in the afternoon to leave him level par for the day and a winner's cheque for £500.

He will now fancy his chances of completing the Suffolk PGA double in the matchplay at Thorpeness on October 22 and 23.

Mann's putting was outstanding in his morning round in which he had five birdies – two of them at the par three fourth and eighth holes – but dropped shots at the third and 13th.

In the afternoon Mann made sure of his unassailable lead with one birdie and four bogeys as the wind increased in strength.

At the halfway stage Aldeburgh assistant Simon Reeve was Mann's nearest challenger after an opening round of 71, but had to settle for third place after a second round 75.

Maskall took the runners-up spot just as he did in the Suffolk Open behind winner Alex Lucas. Rounds of 73 and 71 showed how young Maskall is improving, and just to complete a family double his father Charlie had his tenth hole-in-one at Rushmere.

Three players were in joint fourth place, including the Fynn Valley duo of Lucas and Paul Wilby, but considering they finished 13 shots behind Mann they were never in contention.

Campbell Elliott, the new professional at Woodbridge, had a ten at the 10th in his opening round. It was the first time that he had seen the course and was shot of practice.

He's one for the future and has a proven record in the Midland Region.

The draw for the matchplay is: Mann v Markham, Kent v Jay, Wilby v Cotton, Earp v Duc, Reeve v Cooper, Lucas v Seton, Dobson v Hill, Maskall v Warren.

Final scores at Aldeburgh

136- R Mann (Ufford Park) 65, 71.

144- J Maskall (Hintlesham) 73, 71.

146-S Reeve (Aldeburgh) 71, 75.

149- A Lucas (Fynn Valley) 75, 74, K Earp (Bury Driving Range) 76, 73, P Wilby (Fynn Valley) 75, 74.

150- T Dobson (Bourne Hill DR) 79, 71, P Kent (Bury St Edmunds) 77, 73.

151- S Jay (Seckford) 73, 78, F Hill (Thorpeness) 72, 79, A Cotton (Waldringfield Heath) 72, 79.

152- B Seton (Gorleston) 78, 74.

154- N Duc (Haverhill) 79, 75.

155- J Markham (Stowmarket) 74, 81, S Warren (Suffolk Water Park Golf Range) 75, 80, T Cooper (Newton Green) 76, 79.

156- S Robertson (Ufford Park) 80, 76, R Hitchcock (Stoke-by-Nayland) 77, 79.

157- S Harrison (Halesworth) 81, 76.

158-A Hubert (unattached) 78, 80.

164-K Vince (Fynn Valley) 77, 87.

166- C Elliott (Woodbridge) 84, 82.