The Challenge Cup, first played for in 1895, is the premier knockout competition at Sidmouth Golf Club and is one of the oldest cups in the county, writes Chris Roberts.

Many of the best players in the history of the club have won the cup over the years, and there are many that have not.

This makes it the competition to win as the winners name also gets put on the honours board for the rest of time. This year there was to be a new name on the board as the final was contested between two category one golfers, David Bater and Will Hastie.

The match proved to be as tight as everyone predicted beforehand between two very good players with no more than a one hole advantage for either player for the first fourteen holes.

Bater drew first blood on the first hole with a birdie after holing out from 10 feet, and he kept this advantage until Hastie squared the match on the sixth with a birdie of his own.

Bater hit back immediately, winning the seventh with a par before Hastie levelled the match on the eighth.

The match remained all square until the 12th which was won by Bater with a par three, only for Hastie to level again on the par five 13th hole. It was at this point though that Bater was to ultimately win the match as Hastie failed to par the next two holes, both par threes, and Bater went to the 16th tee with a two hole advantage which he managed to hang on to on the 16th and 17th to emerge as the two-and-one winner.