The Burgess Hill Golf Centre's nine holes provided plenty of problems at the Clearview Windows PGA Short Course championship.

The third visit of 60 South Region pros to this brain-teaser saw Steven Cowle (Blacknest) win the £1,000 first prize with a 36-hole total of 99 or nine under par.

This was good enough by four strokes and included a course record 21 on the first nine of the second day.

Cowle also broke the previous best of nine under for 18 that included ten birdies. Of those who couldn't cope, there was one pro who tore up his card and two who chose to retire.

Play was delayed 90 minutes as thunder, lightning and hail greeted the last 31 players on the final day. It was then that Richard Hill of the host club, and equal second overnight, had a good chance of winning.

His prospects improved when covering the first nine in par. Meanwhile, Jonathan Barnes had a hole-in-one on the sixth, the first at Burgess Hill, and won a holiday in Spain.

The action hotted-up with Cowle shooting six under par on his first nine and taking the lead. He then reduced this by three more on the final nine and clinched victory.

Hill dropped a shot on the ninth dropping him back to two under for the first nine. Mark Nichols was five under over the second 18 holes, Richard Bishton, four under, and putting pressure on Hill. However, Hill managed to pull out a two under par score on the final nine to tie with them for equal second spot.

There was not another Sussex pro among the top finishers until Adrian Milligan came in joint 15th on level par together with local hope Marcus Groombridge.

Paul Lyons, last year's winner, ended one over on 109 and half a dozen Sussex names appeared on returns ranging from one to six over. These included short game sharpies like Jason Partridge and former Sussex champion, Glenn Ralph.

Mark Collins, the centre director, was delighted with the championship. He said: "Yet again those who hadn't played the course before didn't know what to expect. But after nine holes they couldn't believe how good it is. All said it is one of the best short courses they'd ever played. The course, and especially the greens, was a huge test even for some of the best pros. Some quickly learned that the course punishes those who aren't accurate."

Winners of the men's amateur prize were Andrew and James Francis from Hassocks with a score of three under for 18 holes.

Leading pro scores 99 Steven Cowle (Blacknest), 54, 45.

103 Mark Nichols (Surrey Golf & Fitness), 54, 49; Richard Bishton (Windlesham), 53, 50; Richard Hill (Burgess Hill), 51, 52. 105 Hogan Stott (Laleham), 52, 53; Andrew Combe (Clandon Regis), 52, 53.