HINDHEAD’S David Corben successfully defended his Surrey Championship title at Cuddington Golf Club.

Corben, the Surrey County captain, beat Nick Buckland (Addington Palace) on the 19th hole.

In the qualifying rounds played at Cuddington and Banstead Downs, Corben shot rounds of 70 and 66, finishing five shots clear of the field. In progressing to the final, he beat Terry Nicholls (Addington Palace), Mark Booker (Royal Wimbledon) and, in the semi-finals, Callum G Mackay (West Hill).

A large gallery followed the final which, predictably, was a hard-fought affair.

Solid pars on the 1st from both men were followed by a Buckland eagle 3 on the 2nd and a Corben birdie at the 3rd.

Corben hit the front for the first time on the 4th and Buckland pulled his tee shots on the 5th and 7th to help extend the Hindhead member’s lead to three before he himself made an error, three-putting the 9th to turn two up.

Holes 10, 11, 12 and 13 were all halved before both players hit their tee shots on the long 14th into the left rough. Both had tough lies, but Buckland managed to find the green, while Corben pulled his approach and his lead was cut to one.

The 16th was halved in par, and then Buckland hit the shot of the championship to level the match – a downhill pitch through the pines to the double-tier green, followed by a 12-foot putt.

Both players made regulation pars on the uphill 18th, and so it was off to the first extra hole.

Buckland’s renewed challenge faltered with a poor tee shot and a penalty drop. Two solid Corben shots to just left of the green and two putts closed out the match and he became the first player to defend the title since PD Flaherty in the mid-70s.