LUKE Skippings, a 12-year-old Rushmere member, won the Stonham Barns annual players' championship on a wet and windy day when players had to leave the course because of rain and thunder.

LUKE Skippings, a 12-year-old Rushmere member, won the Stonham Barns annual players' championship on a wet and windy day when players had to leave the course because of rain and thunder.

Skippings, who has a handicap of 28 at his home course, scored an impressive 34, which is five over par. He secured a par three at the final 135- yard hole which proved crucial as four rivals finished on 35.

Sarah Howe of Ipswich Golf Club, Lewis Barber from Lexden Wood, Josh Cantwell of Stowmarket and Christopher Lee of Seckford all missed out by one shot.

Sarah Howe had a birdie two at the last while Cantwell and Lee needed a three to draw level, but could only manage a four.

Three five-year-olds, Troy Huggins, Tyler Brinkhoff and Andrew Gee all completed the nine holes although three-year-old Lewis Brinkhoff found the weather was too much for him.

Sarah Howe's final birdie enabled her to beat Craig Kearney from Hertfordshire, the 2005 under-12 East Anglian junior champion, by one shot in the under-15 section.

David Huggins, a member at Stonham Barns and Ipswich Golf Club where he has just been allocated a handicap of 28, is just eight and won his age group.

There will be eight junior events at Stonham Barns next year, all on the final Sunday on the month starting in April.

The Wee Wonders qualifier will be on May 27 and the East Anglian Under-12 championship on June 24.

The Stonham Barns Players' Championship will be on November 25.

Suffolk PGA professional Tony Dobson organises all the events which now attract players from all over the country.