In the Olton Club Championship, no one since the first playing back in 1907 has ever achieved level par for the 36 hole tournament. With a par 69, only one par five and it being felt by many of the county's top players and professionals over the years to be one of the toughest challenges in the county, that may not be so surprising.

Last Saturday, however, saw the rewriting of it's history. Warwickshire Junior team member and Warwickshire Schools Champion Mike Pell won by eleven shots with scores of 69 & 64 = 133, 5 under par and beating the previous best by 6.

It was last Saturday also that Andy Sullivan made his move in the Brabazon Trophy (The English Amateur Strokeplay Championship) as he tried to catch the two 36 hole leaders Neil Raymond and Alan Dunbar, both well clear of the chasing pack led by Andy after two round.

A three birdie 70 saw Andy still five back from now just Raymond, whose opening 70 in terrible conditions was the foundation for his eventual win. Andy played in the final group with Raymond and had managed to draw level by the 71st hole, only to drop a shot leaving Raymond to par the last for a one shot win.

That second place did though give Andy enough World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR)points to move up five places to be the World No 5. It is an incredible achievement leaving Andy still the highest ranked European amateur and the same for the squad for the Walker Cup this September - this all after the major Home Nations Championships and the successes of all Andy's competitors which he has matched by either wins (The Scottish Strokeplay) or being at least Top 10 in everything he has played in.

Michael's achievement, the day after his 18th birthday, is one that should drive him on to the next step of the golfing ladder which will be selection for the full county teams and winning Men's Championships, after he finishes this year being a figurehead for our Juniors who are a young team doing pretty well.

His morning round included six birdies, which he gave back with an equal number of bogies but in the second dig he produced another six and only relinquished one of them.

Michael's 133 total was the actually the best score ever achieved for 36 holes at Olton and that includes not only club events, of which there are six every year (including the Boy?s Open) , but Warwickshire Amateurs and Opens that have been periodically at the club and the Champion of Champions which was there in 1990 and won with a total of 136.

Andy has no counting event for this week so he may drop a place or two in the weekly announced WAGR, such are its vagaries, but next week he will be playing for England in the European Men's Team Championships in Portugal, and will then play the Tillman Trophy the week after. he can go even higher!

Other news from Burnham & Berrow and the Brabazon was the excellent third round of 70 from Sam Dodds - Sam eventually finishing T55th.

Down at Littlestone, Daanyal Spalding shot a 77 in the first round of Final Qualifying for The Open before having to withdraw as because of the storms that hit the course play had to be carried over to a second day. Chris Dougill was able to carry on and he shot 74 and 77 for T41st.