IT was third time lucky for Sandburn Hall Golf Club manager Rob Heath.

Heath, the lowest handicap at the club off scratch, shot rounds of 71 and 76 to take the Flaxton-based track's club championship following two rounds of action last weekend.

Competitors faced very different conditions from the first round, on Saturday, to the final round the following day - which was marked by strong winds across the 6,700-yard par-72 course.

Heath started the competition with nine fours in an opening 36 and, after bogeys at ten and 11, birdied both 12 and 13 and 16 and 17 as he came home in one-under-par.

He started round two with a dropped shot but rallied to fight off the strong challenge of two handicapper Matt Rowe, who got within two shots on the back nine before finishing up four shots adrift of Heath's total of 147.

"It's the first time I have won and it was nice to get it done - a bit of a relief," he said. "I have been second and second before. The course was in excellent condition and it is great to win our premier competition."

The handicap championship was won by Paul Cooper, the nine handicapper helped by a fabulous first round of 77, and Heath added: "He has been playing really well and fully deserved to win it."