Local knowledge is key to Allen victory

Eaton's Mark Allen scored two-under par 68 on his home course to win the latest Norfolk Alliance meeting by a shot.

His round was a perfect example of steady golf, with three birdies and 14 pars. His solitary dropped shot was on his last hole, the par three ninth, and he feared it might cost him.

He missed the green with his tee shot, almost chipped in, but the ball ran three feet past and refused to drop on the return. 'I was a bit disappointed to drop one on the last and I did think I'd blown it. I expected three or four under to win,' he said.

He was also concerned because he'd failed to birdie any of the par fives, making up his score on the tough par fours, 18, four and six. But his steady play paid off, pipping in-form Ian Ellis (Costessey Park) by a shot.

'I mostly hit fairways, mostly hit greens and mostly two-putted,' said Allen, who has been in good form lately, taking fourth place in the Essex PGA's recent pro-am in Belgium.

He led a successful day for Eaton players. Fellow professional David Wilson shared third place, while two groups of amateurs were in a three-way tie for first place in the team event: Mark Jackson and Keith Reeve and John Rix and Malcolm Martin.