Martin Young became just the third player to win the Courage Trophy three times when he pipped his county teammate Ryan Henley by a shot at Stoneham to successfully defend the title he won at Hayling last year.

Henley, who beat Young in a play-off to win the Stoneham Trophy last month, was in the same three-ball as his rival, and was keen to add Courage honours to the county championship he won at Blackmoor in June.

After Henley fired a superb eagle at the last from some 30 yards, with a putt across the green to post nine-under-par, Young was left with a 10-foot birdie putt to win.

Double defence The ball only just got to the right edge of the hole, but it dropped in to ensure he completed a double defence of the Courage and the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Mid-Amateur Championship – the county’s over 35s tournament, which was run in conjunction with their leading strokeplay event.

Young said: “Ryan bogeyed the 17th so I knew he was two behind, but when his putt came across the slope from the bunker on 18 and then just sailed in the hole, he said to me ‘that's nine-under,’ and I realised I needed to make my birdie to avoid a play-off.

“I lost to Ryan in the play-off for the Stoneham Trophy a few weeks ago, so there was no way I wanted that to happen again.

“Although the chip was poor, I hit the putt a little firm but it only just fell into the hole so I was very happy and very relieved.”

Young was in fine form going into the weekend having claimed his second Gerald Micklem Cup – one of the most famous mid-amateur competitions in the country – at Sunningdale.

His total of 134 at Stoneham was also enough to give him victory in the Hampshire Mid-Amateur for a third-year running.

Meon Valley’s George Roberts, 15, continued his good season with victory in the handicap in the Courage after the three-handicapper carded nett rounds of 67 and 68 to finish four clear of Henley, playing off plus-two, with Young a further shot back.

Rowlands Castle's Tom Robson was third in Courage after shooting two 68s, good enough to earn him the Cole Scuttle for the best 72-hole total in the Courage and qualifying at the County Championship.