Steve Graham is the 11th amateur to win the Sussex Open Championship.

Graham, 41, sealed victory at Willingdon with a ten-foot birdie putt on the last green.

He has been around a long time but this was his first victory in the county open and, surprisingly, he has yet to win the Sussex Amateur.

At least part of that record has now been put straight after ten attempts and a few near misses.

He went close at The Nevill two years ago when Tim Spence lifted the title.

But this time it was Spence who was runner-up after a final round bedevilled by short putts that refused to drop.

Graham's total of 134 (68, 66) pipped Spence by one stroke.

Gordon Murray, the leading assistant, was third on 136.

Only four of the field beat par over the two-day competition A source of much pride for Graham Carn was an opening 65 that set a new amateur course record.

Carn, 46, is chairman of Willingdon's board of directors and, while he took eight more strokes second time around, his contribution was impressive considering that many in the field were half his age.

For Graham, the Littlehampton secretary, the prize-giving was a poignant moment.

He said: "I didn't think I would be standing here after Tim's fabulous 63 yesterday. I just didn't expect to win. I'm lost for words."

Spence's opener was a near-perfect round but not a course record - that stands at 61 to Dean Plant - although Willingdon could hardly be described as easy.

Consolation for Spence was taking the £1,000 cheque from the £5,000 kitty as leading professional.

For a brief period, Graham changed status in order to pursue a European Tour place but missed out in 1993 and re-instated as an amateur.

He was in the England squad on five occasions but did not get a full cap which he regards as a disappointment.

In the closing stages at Willingdon, Graham, playing ahead of Spence, saw his main rival go out of bounds at the 14th. Graham had suffered the same fate but recovered to make par but the mistake was to prove more expensive for Spence.

Spence said: "When I knocked it out at 14 it was only by an inch. I was level par through 13 and six under for the championship.

"It meant a seven on 14 when I missed from two feet. I hit to five feet at 15 and lipped-out, to six feet at 16 and lipped-out again and my first putt at 17 hit the hole but stayed out and I parred the last.

"I've won ten pro-ams this summer and had a 61 at St George's Hill but still have not managed to win a two-day event. I don't know what is wrong."

After his 63 Spence was wreathed in smiles. He had seven birdies and finished, three, two, three. He dropped only one shot at the 177-yard tenth.

But a five-stroke lead over Graham was not enough. Much credit belonged to Graham for his 66 after going out of bounds at 14. With his provisional ball he made eagle by dint of a drive, seven iron and three-footer that went down as a face-saving five.

He was stiff at nine and tenand checked-in with birdies at eight, nine, ten, 12 and 18.

Back in the amateur ranks after a break is Paul Jones, 20, who has left Seaford Head and works in the shop at Tilgate Forest.

A joint tenth placing suggests his golf has not acquired much rust.

Chris Purton, Sussex's amateur order of merit winner, turned in a tidy 138 in good company. Purton, 19, has one more year as a colt and will then weigh-up his future prospects.