Sullivan soon got a taste of how good Ibbertson has already become with birdies at hole 1 and 3 of the final. A long Ibbertson putt across the 14th green and without a 2,3 reply, Sullivan would not have have lunched two up.

They shared the first with birdie fours, before Ibbertson gave away the 21st only to grab it back with a 2 at the 5th. Sullivan hit the 7th in two and two putted to go three up again, and went further ahead at the next when Ibbertson didn't get up and down after a pulled tee shot.

Tom replied with a four the ninth and having seen Sullivan miss a couple of shortish birdie putts, grabbed another back with a par at the par three 12th, a hole Sullivan didn't par in his Amateur win, nor in the first eighteen.

Andy nearly holed his approach to the 31st, a short iron after a 314 yards drive into a cross wind. Tom had played a good shot to the front of the green and slotted hom from 20ft to halve that.

At the next, again Andy was close and Ibbertson off the green and again Tom holed for a birdie, which Andy duly followed in.

On the 33rd, Andy missed right in the sand, Tom left in a much easier place. Andy just got ahead of his sand shot and squirted the ball over the green. Tom chipped dead and it was here that the whole match might have turned if it were not for Andy holing from 30ft for a halving par.

Tom's tee shot at the 34th was good, Andy's huge, a smote driver well over 320 yards from where he wedge to 6ft. When that final birdie putt went in, it was all over but it had been one hell of a fight.

'Two down - where's the Open?' said Sullivan who will be at Leamington to try for the Sullivan Slam this September. In the mean time, Andy will be a key figure at Chesterfield in two weeks time, trying to help our Men's team join the Juniors, of which Tom is a key member, in their respective English County Finals.

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