England crowned its fifth British amateur championship winner in 10 years at Royal Co Down on Saturday when Graeme Storm of the Wynyard club near Middlesbrough beat Yorkshireman Aran Wainwright seven and six in the 36-hole final.

The 21-year-old was never behind against the 1997 English amateur champion and only surrendered four holes of the 30 played.

Storm laid the foundations for his success in the morning round which he ended three ahead after pulling away on the inward half, the front nine having been a tense and tight affair.

Wainwright knew he had to start well in the afternoon to have any chance and gave himself a glimmer of hope when he won the second, their 20th, after Storm's pitch kicked right of the green and he failed to pitch and putt for par.

But it was a revival which did not last as Storm bagged the next three holes, and Wainwright's clumsy play saw him bogey each one. It gave the Wynyard man a five-hole lead he retained to the turn.

When the flagging Wainwright three-putted the 10th, the end was in sight and the axe finally fell two holes later at the 525-yard 12th hole where Storm found the green in two and two putted for a winning birdie four.

"This is absolutely incredible, I can't believe it to be honest," he said. "I believed I could win before I came here because I do rate myself as one of the best amateur players in the country."

Wainwright said, "It was a tough school out there. Graeme played well and never really gave me a chance. In fact, I think he only made one mistake all day.