Karl is no where near a 'veteran' but he has two decades of playing top level golf, and regularly beating the best. He is no 'plodder' much more a golfer capable of bursts of very low scoring as he has proved many times for the County. As such, all the rest of the field knew they would need very good if not great golf as Karl's experience was a component of golf they did not possess.

Over the three rounds of the finals, only two matches did not go to the last hole - the two matches that didn't finished on the 17th.

Elliot needed a 19th hole birdie to beat Stuart Bloxham, having beaten fellow 2nd team member (although Elliot will make his 1sts debut next Sunday) Dale Middleton on the 18th in the first round.

Karl was facing 1st Team members in his quarter and semi-final matches. He started with the new Warwickshire Amateur Champion Tom Ibbertson and courtesy of two Smith birdies, plus four three-putts from the strokeplay winner (including at the first extra hole), Karl was through to face Jack Sant.

Jack was two up on Karl after 7. Karl then eagled the 8th and birdied the 10th to draw level before going double bogey, bogey to fall two back. Karl though was not finished with the birdies, playing the last five in -2 to go through on the 18th when Jack missed the green and could not up-and-down from the bunker.

So to the final and it was Karl who went ahead early with birdies as well as some Seve like escapades which sometimes worked out and sometime didn't. Karl held up to a three up lead at various stages of the first 18 until he made a hash of the 17th and 18th to leave the final all square after eighteen.

Birdies were swapped on the 1st and 2nd of the final eighteen. Karl then made a hash of the 4th and watched as Elliot missed from close at the next. It was Karl's turn then to play the better golf, showing exquisite touch with his putting at the 6th and then able to fire a long iron greenside at the par five 7th.

Neither played the 8th well after good drives and a rash putt on the 9th and Elliott was two down. If the final had a turning point it was the 10th

Karl found the fairway whilst Elliott was nearly on the 18th. Elliott decided to chip back to where he should have been but went too far and was blocked out by trees. With a tight left flag, the one place Karl didn't want to miss was left but he did whilst Elliott thrashed a wedge onto the far right of the green. It was a far easier place to get down in two from which Elliott duly did and with the best single shot of the day, a laser like iron to the 11th green, then an 8ft birdie putt on the 12th and the match was back to all square.

On the 14th both players were probably too close to the green for the approach over water and Elliott could not control his distance, firing to the back edge with the pin at the front. His approach was too bold so he was behind once more.

Karl's tee shot got lucky at the 15th, spinning back off a pine cone instead of into the trees and whilst Elliott showed huge power by driving the green, he was not more than a few feet of going out of bounds behind the putting surface had his ball run on. He duly converted the opportunity and then tried to find the 16th green.

Elliott was though short and in sand. Karl's approach seemed perfect but flew onto the back fringe.

The Kenilworth star went first and played a brilliant shot, to two foot.

'It was just sitting down a little', said Karl, 'I would always putt it but I expected it to 'pop' a little bit and played for that. I should have just gone for 6ft past.'

Karl left his approach 15ft short and only just missed his par save so it was off down the 17th.

Both hit good drives but Elliott was 40 yards ahead. It was not the time to have a poor shot.

Karl came off his 8 iron and found the water hazard. Elliott nearly did the same with his wedge but carried the ball pin high, just avoiding the greenside bunker.

Taking a drop, Karl played a superb pitch and then downed the bogey putt from 12ft, after Elliott had played his approach to 3 foot. Calmly Elliott broke his 'duck' by slotting home the winning shot.

'I got nervous around the turn - the 9th and 10th', said the new champion, 'It was a good match and Karl is so hard to beat.'

Elliott is a perfect example to any junior who does not reach the very top in his teenage years. He showed lots of promise but it has only been converted over the last three years with his Degree course and lots of time on the course producing a perfect 'modern; swing, all club head speed.

2010 saw how difficult he was to beat playing for the 2nds. He now gets his chance at the very top level and goes there as the holder of his first title - with many more to come.

Match Referee was Phil Croft and Maxstoke was once again in wonderful condition for the final.

For the Picture gallery from the Final CLICK HERE