GOLF by Alan Booth: ALMOST 30 years after winning his first county championship, Bobby Mitchell completed a unique record of six county titles when he won the Herts Professional Championship at Whipsnade Park for the third time. At the age of 16 he won h

GOLF by Alan Booth: ALMOST 30 years after winning his first county championship, Bobby Mitchell completed a unique record of six county titles when he won the Herts Professional Championship at Whipsnade Park for the third time.

At the age of 16 he won his first title, the Herts Boys Championship in 1980, he retained the title the next year and made it a county double two months later when he went on to win the Herts Amateur Championship.

After turning professional he won the Herts Pro Championship in 1988 and 1900, having to wait nine years to claim his third success.

"It's a great feeling to have your name on three county trophies," he said. "Being a club pro and teaching the game has not affected my enthusiasm for playing the game and staying competitive in Herts Alliance and East Region PGA events."

Mitchell, formerly pro at Knebworth and now at South Herts, had been one of only three players to have won both the county amateur and pro championships, the others being Peter Cherry, formerly at Harpenden and now at Ashridge, and David Williams, now a European Tournament director.

At Whipsnade Park, Mitchell opened with a level par 73, to be a shot off the lead held by Andrew Hurley of Arkley, but hit top form in the afternoon with a five under par 68 for 141 total, having six birdies and one dropped shot, to take the title by two strokes from Hurley, 72 71.

Third was former winner Daniel Field (East Herts). Defending champion Rob Leonard (Mid Herts) had rounds of 73 74 to win the assistants title.

Whipsnade Park staged a pro-am the previous day when the home team headed by assistant pro Noel Quinn made a clean sweep of the event with a seven points winning margin.

Former Herts ladies champion Lucy Williams of Mid Herts was in top form as she competed in the British Universities' England and Wales individual stroke play qualifier at Woodhall Spa.

She shot rounds of 69 71 for 140 total, six under par, to get comfortably to plus one handicap.

Sir Nick Faldo, who was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours, went to Windsor Castle on Tuesday last week for a ceremony where the Queen bestowed him with his knighthood.

Afterwards Sir Nick said "That was an unbelievable experience." He had never imagined receiving such a great honour.