Youngest winner Campbell mature beyond his years

The old adage has some merit, or so it seems. And certainly, as a student of philosophy, Mark Campbell could appreciate putting the age-old theory of "if you're good enough, you're old enough" into practice in achieving victory in the South of Ireland Amateur Championship, sponsored by Irish Shell, at Lahinch yesterday.

Indeed, it was somewhat appropriate that the last South of the century should actually be won by its youngest ever champion. Campbell, a golfing scholarship student at UCD, won't reach his 20th birthday until November and, yet, his rapid progress to champion of an event steeped in tradition wasn't entirely a surprise given his reputation in the junior game where he has won underage titles in Ireland and Belgium.

Yesterday, he secured success the hard way. In a marathon final, with more than a touch of nerves apparent, Campbell eventually brought some panache to what had been a rather scrappy five-hour long affair when he sank a 20 foot birdie putt on the 21st - the third tie hole - to defeat another young gun, Balmoral's Peter Martin, who is three years his elder.

It wasn't vintage golf, with Campbell an approximate five over par for the first 18 holes, but it did keep the large gallery drawn to the links enthralled.

The victory march had some drama, most notably at the short third (first time round) which had an element of farce about it as Campbell played army golf - left, right left - before finally making the green in four and, to the amazement of onlookers, conceding the hole to Martin who still had a four footer for bogey. "I just wanted to get off the green," reflected Campbell.

Nevertheless, and a testimony to his mental strength, the incident didn't upset the Dubliner in the slightest. In fact, by the turn, Campbell was two up and appeared in such control that an early finish looked on the cards. But he lost his rhythm midway through the round and his driving, particularly, went askew. The result was a hat-trick of bogeys from the 10th (which cost him to lose two holes, the 10th and 12th) and brought him back to all square in the match.

And events at the 15th suggested that Campbell had lost his way a little when he opted to chip from a yard off a green which had become lightning fast, a combination of the intense sun and breeze. "I felt good over the chip," he later remarked, "but, in hindsight, I probably should have putt it." The result of his chip was that the ball raced 15 feet by the hole, and he missed the putt back. It meant that Martin edged into the lead for the first time since the fourth hole.

On the 17th, Martin had a left-to-right 30 foot putt for birdie to win the championship - but the putt was always right of the hole, and it gave Campbell a second chance as they trooped to the 18th tee. On Tuesday, Campbell had played the hole majestically to fend off Stephen Browne; and he replicated the act again with a winning birdie to force sudden-death. Martin was somewhat unfortunate when his second shot to that 18th finished in a divot which led to a poor chip to open the door for his opponent.

After failing to convert birdie putts at the first two tie holes, Campbell made no mistake at the third hole. As if to emphasis the fickleness of the game, his nine-iron tee shot pitched on the front of the green and ran up to 20 feet pinhigh; Martin's nine-iron pitched no more than a foot further on, but shot through the green and down the bank. He could only pitch back up to 12 feet, but was spared any further exertions when Campbell calmly rolled in his birdie putt to take the crown.

"The greatest win of my career," stated Campbell, who next week defends his Belgian Youths' title. And his success in the South could also earn a player who has represented Ireland at all levels of boys and youths golf a swift call-up to full senior international later this season.

Semi-finals - M Campbell (Stackstown and UCD) bt A Morrow (Portmarnock) 1 hole; P Martin (Balmoral) bt C Wisler (Maple Dale, USA) 4 and 3. Final - Campbell bt Martin at 21st.

Britain's Laura Davies will challenge Sweden's Catrin Nilsmark for top spot on the Women's European Tour Order of Merit next week when she tees off in the McDonald's WPGA Championship of Europe at Gleneagles.

The four-time major winner has been a firm fixture in second place on the money list this season despite winning the Chrysler Open and finishing runner-up in her two other European outings - the Evian Masters and the German Open.

Nilsmark moved to the top of the rankings after winning the season opening Evian Masters - the richest event in women's European golf - and strengthened her position with a third place finish a month later in the Chrysler Open in Sweden.