Golf by Alan Booth STEPHEN PAYNE S first round score of 69 was enough to give him the Herts Colts Championship at Sandy Lodge on Saturday as a violent storm brought play to an end midway through the second round. Payne, from Aldwickbury Park, had taken a

Golf by Alan Booth

STEPHEN PAYNE'S first round score of 69 was enough to give him the Herts Colts Championship at Sandy Lodge on Saturday as a violent storm brought play to an end midway through the second round.

Payne, from Aldwickbury Park, had taken a one-stroke lead with 69 from Tom Cutting (Berkhamsted), being four under par a one stage, with three birdies in the first nine - four, six and seven - followed by birdies at 10 and 11. His birdie run ended with a triple bogey at the 12th and he made par over the final stretch, to be the only one under par.

Cutting finished runner-up with 70, followed on 71 by Letchworth pair Daniel Ellis Banbury and Laurie Owen, and former Colts champion Glen Portelli (Brickendon Grange).

On 72 were Oliver Brown (Chadwell Springs), Nick Algate (Moor Park), Tom Speyer (West Herts) and Matthew Wallace (Batchworth Park).

Play was called off at 7.45pm and under the rules of the competition the result was determined by the first round scores.