North of Ireland: Trevor Coulter confounded even himself by winning the North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Royal Portrush yesterday.

In a drawn-out final he beat Rory Leonard on the home green. There was a five-hole swing between the seventh and 14th holes as Coulter went from three up to two down but the 39-year-old scratch player dug deep to claw out an unexpected victory.

"I was thinking of giving up golf after this championship," revealed the Massereene man. "I have been coming here every year since I was 16 but one and this is the first time I got past the quarter-finals."

Coulter seemed to be well on the way to ending the final when three up after seven but Leonard won the ninth and 10th in regulation. When Coulter's wedge to the 12th hole rolled off the green Leonard cashed in to square the match.

The 28-year-old Banbridge plus-one handicapper then shot two up with wins in par at the 13th and Calamity Corner but after driving into bushes and having to take a penalty drop he conceded "Purgatory", the downhill 15th.

The 16th was halved in par four but Leonard drove left into rough off the 17th tee and missed from six feet to leave the match all flat. At the 18th, Coulter was in light rough short of the green and Leonard was in a bunker at the front edge. Coulter flew the ball over the surface and so did Leonard, who had to play back first. He used a putter and rolled the ball 12 feet back past the flag. Coulter played a delicate putt to three feet and holed for the match after Leonard left his effort on the lip of the hole.

"I learned from Rory's putt and I also had the same putt in the semi-final this morning to stay alive so I knew the green," said Coulter.

In the morning semi-finals, Coulter again produced a giant-killing by dismissing international Richard Kilpatrick in sudden-death as Coulter slotted home a 20-foot birdie putt at the 19th to book his spot in the final.

Coulter refused to be intimidated by the reputation of his opponent, a finance undergraduate at the University of Toledo.

Only two holes on the first nine were shared as Coulter immediately hit back every time Kilpatrick edged ahead but a birdie at the long ninth left the Banbridge player one up. He went two up with another birdie at the long 10th - the only time two holes separated the pair.

Coulter birdied the par-four 12th from 20 feet and got up and down for par at Calamity Corner for par as both missed the green but Kilpatrick failed to match regulation. It wasn't to be the loser's day as he three-putted from off the 17th green, failing to match Coulter's birdie four. Both holed difficult putts at the last to keep the game all flat.

There wasn't as much movement in the other semi, with Leonard beating Mark Campbell by 2 and 1. The match was all square after seven holes before Leonard birdied the ninth. He went two-up with par at the 11th where Campbell three-putted.

The 15th, Purgatory, was a bitter blow to Campbell. With a three-wood, Leonard finished behind a bush and could only hack out. He got up and down from rough, holing an eight-footer. Campbell missed his 10-foot putt for birdie. A weak chip at 17 also cost the Dubliner a chance of taking the contest up the 18th fairway.