Morris won by one shot from Matt Cryer (Coventry) with a 5 under par total of 139. They were the only players to break par and from what Cryer said afterwards, his 140 total was achieved by leaving his driver in the clubhouse.

The closest I got to a fairway in the morning was 20ft .... I didn t use a driver once in the afternoon

The Coventry golfers tee shots (pm) did give him a chance for the Open title. He made an eagle at 16 with a 3 wood and 6 iron to 4ft and gave himself an outside chance at his final hole, the 18th when he found the front edge of the green with his approach. Whether he was trying to hole the 70ft putt or just to get it close, the perfect greens were no excuse for Cryer putting over the green. His attempt for a birdie then went another 8ft past but the par he made would give him Runner-up spot and the T P Cooke for the best 72 hole total from the Amateur and Open scores - just!

I slamm-dunked it (holed on the fly) for an eagle at 16 in the morning (an 80yrd gap wedge ) and made a 30 footer at 2 for another but there were lots of misses - 3 putts at 11 for a double and taking four to get down from 30 yards from the 5th ... I had chances but it wasn t easy , said Cryer.

Cryer is busy preparing for his wedding next week and is undefeated for the 1st Team this season so he could finish his golf in October with a hugely impressive record from 2002. He swops top placing in the team order with Rob Steele (Kenilworth). Rob has just graduated from the Junior ranks and his top 10 placing at the Warwickshire Amateur made him one of the top contenders for the T P Cooke Salver, one of the most impressive trophies in Midland Golf. He managed two 72s with the help of two chip-ins, one for an eagle and one for a par but his golf left him many more realistic chances he could not take.

I didn t hit the ball great all day - a double on 11 and dropping more shots on 3 meant I never had a chance of a sub par round , said the young Kenilworth golfer, semi-finalist at the English Amateur this year to prove he has real potential. The 144 he managed at Nuneaton left him tied with Cryer - the trophy going to Coventry on countback.

Adrian Carey putt up a good defense of the Championship, also matching par with fellow Pro, Rob Challis, with one of Nuneaton s top amateurs, Paul Randle, in 6th place. Carey has appeared on TV in Europro events. Its something Morris can look forward to if his game improves as it has done with using a broomhandle.

Its a full length model. I just tried it for more confidence and its given me that - I can see the lines much better. In the morning I made no mistakes and three birdies. It wasn t the same in the afternoon when I found myself 3 over after 7. I had to give myself a taking to and made four birdies (at 8, 11, 14 and 16) to turn the round around. Next week its Chart Hills and this will give me confidence but I couldn t think about really making it without the help of my sponsors, Billy Liam and Stephen Doyle. They have helped me for the last three years and their support gives me a real chance.

BLS Communications will be hoping this is a real boost to their golfer s end of 2002. They can be sure that if really good things come to Matt, he will keep his feet on the ground. His golf was better and more consistent than anyone else on the day and he fully deserved the title and the winnings from a championship he has been close to taking for several years. Look out for the name.

60 Competitors Par 71 SSS 71 CSS 71 Weather: warm and dry with some sun, but mainly cloudy with slight breeze. IMPORTANT NOTE Handicap limits were as follows: Age Group 55-64 - Handicap 12 and below Age Group 65-69 - Handicap 14 and below Age Group Over 70 - Handicap 16 and below