Jersey champion Gavin O’Neill added the Channel Islands title to his honours bag on Sunday. Picture by Tony Pike (00716414)

JERSEY golfers won the men’s and women’s HSBC Channel Islands Matchplay championship titles at the Royal Jersey on Sunday as Gavin O’Neill and Alex Mollin defeated their Guernsey counterparts.

O’Neill defeated first time finalist Andy Eggo 7 and 6 and Mollin won 6 and 5 against 13-year-old Aimee Ponte, a talented youngster who is down to seven handicap already having only been playing competitively for two years.

O’Neill, who was CI champion in 2005, said: ‘It was a harder morning round this time from when I last won it because I was four-up after 18 holes then and only one-up this time. I played okay this afternoon but it was nothing spectacular. ‘

Mollin was delighted to win against a very promising competitor. She said: ‘I lost in Guernsey last year so I’m really pleased to have won today. It wasn’t my best golf; it was on and off all day. But it was solid at times too and that I think did the job. Aimee hits the ball really well, she is very talented and with a lot of years ahead of her she has a great future.’