YORK Union of Golf Clubs' final major event of the season was a long time in arriving - but it was well worth the wait for teenager Nick Marchant.

Twice the Union's Junior Championship had been KO'd by the weather. But third time lucky enabled the event to be staged at Fulford GC, where Forest of Galtres GC's Marchant proved the premier player.

However, before his success was confirmed the All Saints' School pupil had a further anxious wait.

Marchant had posted a 76 gross score, which was all the more creditable as he had suffered a triple and double bogey in an otherwise flawless round. But he then had to endure a nervy 15-minute vigil in the clubhouse before it was revealed that he had indeed landed the coveted title on count-back with a better inward nine than fellow five-handicapper Matt Burrows of Malton and Norton, who also carded a gross 76.

Third place went to Easingwold's Mark Christie (four handicap) with 78 to shade scratch player Matthew Lord of the host Fulford club on count-back.

For Marchant the victory capped a superb summer in which he not only retained the Forest of Galtres order of merit prize for the second year, but he also equalled the club's course record with a two-under-par 70 in the Captain's Day tournament.

His success this season secured his own pre-2004 ambition of reducing his handicap from eight to five and that gives reinforcement to his nine to five ambition of ultimately becoming a professional golfer.

Updated: 10:17 Wednesday, November 03, 2004