A play-off between two former Suffolk Open champions, Jamie Abbott (2005) and Jamie Moul (2001), was needed to settle first prize in the Jamega Tour Championship at Old Fold Manor.

Both players finished at four under par for 18 holes. Then came five extra holes before Moul missed a par putt.

Moul had a hole in one at the 14th in his first round for a £100 bonus.

It was a chilly and breezy day for the last event of 2017. Scoring was never going to be easy. Patience was a key element. It was Scott Fallon who jointly led with James Willis after the first day with both players scoring four under par. Two shots further back were Ben Smith, Tom Dolan and Moul.

Abbott, the eventual winner, was on level par. The second day was less windy with bright sunshine.

All fell back except the ever-consistent Abbott, who shot the best round of the day to set the club house target at four under par. Soon it became clear that only Moul could catch Abbott. He needed a birdie at the final hole for victory. The birdie putt just missed so the pair were headed for a sudden death play-off over the first and second holes.

After both players missed several birdie opportunities it was the relentless Abbott who emerged victorious just as the light was failing.

This was the final leg of the last Order of Merit, where the winner enjoys a free winter season on the Portugal Pro Golf Tour worth more than £6,000 in entry fees. It was eventually Moul who came up on the rails for this coveted prize.

Abbott’s next target is to progress from stage two of the European Tour qualifying school in Spain between November 3 and 6. He awaits news about which of the four venues he will be drawn.

He would prefer to avoid El Saler but has no preference between Desert Springs (Almeria), Las Colinas and Panoramica. He will be joined by Sam Forgan (Stowmarket) and Hugo Dobson (Woodbridge) in Spain.

Stage One finished last week at Frilford Heath and Bogogno in Italy. Former Lincolnshire Anglian League player David Coupland progressed. The final stage will be over six rounds at Lumine (Tarragona) between November 11 and 16.

Abbott plans to spend much of his winter in Portugal playing in the Jamega Tour events which earned him a start in the Open de Portugal held at Morgado on The Algarve last May. He finished joint 15th. He will have Moul for company.

The Jamega Tour event at The Shire at the end of September was won by an amateur, Jerome Foster, at seven under par. Abbott and Sam Forgan were joint second with five under par.

Paul Curry’s son Owen has been gaining experience on the Jamega Tour and will be hoping for a more productive 2018.

The current world rankings have Dustin Johnson on top, Jordan Spieth second and Hideki Matsuyama third. Hugo Dobson is 1,053, Abbott 1,434, Miles Collins 1,757 and Forgan 1,936. Moul is not currently ranked.

- The North of England Open Amateur Championship at Alwoodley (near Leeds) last week included the County Plate.

The best scores in the first two rounds from players from the counties, and countries in the case of Wales, Republic of Ireland and Holland, were added together.

Yorkshire won easily with 283, but Suffolk were runners-up thanks to Paul Waring (Felixstowe) and 16-year-old Habebul Islam (Ipswich) both having 147 for their two rounds in the wind and rain. Other leading county scores: 295: Lancashire and Hertfordshire. 297: Durham. 300: Northants. 301: Surrey. 302: Somerset and Warwickshire. 303: Republic of Ireland. 304: Nottinghamshire and Netherlands.

Suffolk also had Calvin Sherwood (Rookery Park) who made the cut and Sam Byford (Ipswich) who missed it. Guy Mummery (Rookery Park) withdrew.

After four rounds the winner was David Hague (Yorkshire) with 71 71 69 74. Waring was 10th with 76 71 73 75, Sherwood was 23rd with 76 72 78 76 and Islam 25th with 75 72 77 79.

- Fiona Edmond (Ipswich) has been representing England Senior Ladies in the Home internationals at Newport in Wales.

Ireland ended as winners. England were runners-up with Scotland and Wales level at the foot of the table after they halved their match on the final day.

Edmond started with a foursomes win with Jackie Foster of Bishop’s Stortford against Wales but lost her singles in that match.

She halved her singles against Scotland but lost one down against Ireland. She did not play foursomes against Scotland or Ireland.