JAKE Dines came through a five-hole play-off to become the new Frilford Heath club champion.

The 19-year-old, playing the final competition before he leaves for a golf scholarship at a university in Tennessee tomorrow, edged out close friend Lee White on the 59th hole.

The former Matthew Arnold School, Oxford, pupil, whose handicap was reduced to one as a result, was thrilled to win.

He said: “I didn’t know what to expect in the play-off because I’d never been in that position before.

“I didn’t like the situation coming up against a friend, because I knew he had played really well.

“But it was great to win and I couldn’t really ask for a better way to sign off before I head to the States.”

Lightning twice interrupted play in Saturday’s opening 36 holes, when a large field of members played on the Blue and Green courses.

All were battling to get into the top 30 and qualify for the final round, on the Red Course.

After two rounds the John Fisher Cup handicap competition was won by Alex Lowe, back on a short break from his university studies in Paris.

Playing off seven, he carded rounds his nett total of 138 and won by six shots from White.

In the final round, Dines and Ollie Tubb shot 73 for the lowest scores of the day.

Overall, Dines and White were level at the top with a three-round total of 220, triggering a five-hole play-off.

Dines took control with a birdie on the opening hole, the par five tenth, while White dropped a shot.

The advantage was quickly three shots as White had another bogey at the 11th.

But Dines then dropped shots on the 12th and 17th to leave him with a single-shot lead standing on the 18th tee.

White needed to get up and down for a par at the last, but his putt lipped out.

It gave Dines two putts from five feet for the title and the teenager needed just one to lift the title.

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