Laura Robinson triumphed over her friend Ebonie Burgess to win the all-Bermuda final of a top match play junior tournament in Canada yesterday.

The more experienced 17-year-old Robinson played the steadier golf to get the better of 15-year-old Burgess by six and four to win the girls' title at the Canadian Junior National Championships.

Friendship had to be put aside as the girls, who have roomed together for the duration of the tournament at the Royal Woodbine Golf and Country Club in Ontario, battled it out for the prestigious title.

But as the watching Eldon Lewis, president of Bermuda Junior Golf Association, said yesterday, there were no hard feelings between the two finalists.

"It was friend versus friend and there was no animosity," said Lewis. "They were talking to each other on the course and there was no ribbing going on. And as I speak they are receiving their trophies together."

In the early stages, the match was tight with Robinson holding a one-up lead from the third hole. Lewis said the seventh had been the turning point, as Burgess struggled after finding a bunker, allowing Robinson to take a two-up lead.

Robinson won the eighth as well and halved the ninth to consolidate her three-up advantage.

Burgess fell off the pace rapidly after that, going out of bounds at the 10th and 11th and finding the water at the 12th, losing all three holes to leave Robinson six-up with six to play.

Burgess hauled herself back from the verge of defeat with a brilliant birdie to win the 13th hole, but it was all to no avail as Robinson bounced back to win the 14th and secure her victory.

Of the 15 girls in the 130-strong field, Robinson, Burgess and the third Bermudian competitor Stephanie Lewis, all made the cut of eight to qualify for the girls' match play phase.

Eldon Lewis felt their performance had been a success story for Bermuda junior golf.

"The final was definitely between the best two girls of the eight," he said. "Ebonie's had a really good couple of weeks. She played really well in the Atlantic tournament and she putted particularly well.

"At 15, Ebonie's got a bright future ahead of her. Being young and in a final against a veteran like Laura, I think she was a little nervous.

"Laura played very well. She just knew she had to play a solid round of golf and she did just that."