Thorpe Hall's 26th Junior Open was won by Rochford's up-and-coming star Rhys Piper in a very exciting finish.

The two-handicap County boys player had recorded a 74 in the morning -- one stroke behind Wanstead's Michael McPherson whose 73 won the Daily Telegraph qualifier -- and this margin stayed the same until the 13th in the afternoon.

With both players starting from the tenth tee only two groups apart, they were aware of each other's scores.

Piper's tee shot at the par three fifth found the front bunker and, while his eight-foot putt for par slid by the hole, McPherson holed from 45 feet for birdie at the par five fourth.

This gave the Wanstead man a two-shot advantage, but only for a short time as he bogeyed the fifth and sixth to bring things level.

Piper's tee shot at nine split the fairway and a good short iron to 15 feet set up the chance to take the lead. A beautifully struck putt never left the centre of the hole and a score of 146 was posted.

McPherson's second shot was mishit and he found the bunker. Being unable to hole the sand shot he can only hope he has as good an opportunity to win next year.

Lucy Clarke from Chelmsford won the girls' title for the third year running and qualified for the Telegraph event with a morning round of 80, just seven over par.

Star of the day was ten-year-old Emma Stratford, from Chelmsford, who didn't put a foot wrong all day.

The tiny cadet with a huge smile scored rounds of 65 and 62 net to win the girls' handicap prize and was nine shots better than the boys' winner!.

Published Thursday, June 5, 2003

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