China’s Dylan Bingwen Ma claimed his first American Junior Golf Association title when completing a wire-to-wire victory at the inaugural Butterfield Bermuda Junior Championship at Port Royal Golf Course yesterday.

After laying a solid foundation with a sparkling first-round score of four under par followed by a two-over 73 in round two for what appeared an impregnable five-shot cushion, the 17-year-old revealed his frailties via a mistake-filled final round to beat Eli Walker Campbell by two shots.

Ma’s front nine was littered with two bogeys and a double bogey at the par-five 7th hole and his back nine was not dissimilar, with the teenager finishing three over for a total of five-over 218.

“I was hitting a 105-yard drive into the fairway, which was a very easy shot, but the wind was blowing really hard from the right and I didn’t go to the left enough, so, unfortunately, the ball went out of bounds, giving me an early double bogey that really frustrated me.

“Then at No 8 I hit the perfect tee shot and missed a foot putt into the wind. I was shaking and was super angry and frustrated, but I told myself to keep going as I had a two-shot advantage and I was able to make some good shots and putts after that.”

But it was not only Ma who struggled, with his nearest challengers also finding the windswept Southampton layout problematic and unable to establish consistency from tee to green.

“It’s a very different feeling to win,” said Ma, whose best previous performance at this level was a top-five finish. “I was also in the lead after the second round of my last tournament, so I’ve had a similar experience and know when to be conservative and when to be aggressive.

“Eli is a very respected player and a five-shot lead is not as big as it seems. It was a good fight, as he was making a lot of putts, which made it really tough and we were putting a lot of pressure on each other.”

Walker Campbell, playing in the lead group with Ma and Will Gregware, was left to rue an opportunity lost for a title of his own, as he was never able to produce the sustained run that might have caused greater worry to the leader.

A birdie on the 7th was more than erased by a double bogey at the next and further gaffes at 12, 13 and 15 put paid to any designs he may have had on first place.

“The wind was just brutal,” said Walker Campbell, a high-school junior in Texas. “I did the best that I could, and props to Dylan. He had an amazing tournament. He’s an amazing competitor and a great guy.

“It was a bit frustrating but I have to bear in mind that this is a top-class AJGA event and I’m just a sophomore, so I went out there with no real pressure.

“The goal coming in was always to win and I was hoping to go out and shoot low numbers, but I didn’t realise the wind would be so brutal.

“This tournament is going to give me a lot of learning regarding playing in the wind because a lot of the holes here are really tough, especially on the back nine. The course has really taught me about how important it is to make good tee shots and second shots.”

Gregware and Adithya Venkataraghavan tied for third. Local males Oliver Betschart finished 16th, while Dylan Muso came in 36th.

The girls’ competition evolved into a titanic battle between second-round leader Ein Kim, of South Korea, and diminutive Canadian prodigy Aphrodite Deng.

Kim entered the day with a three-stroke lead, but Deng showed mettle, maturity and determination beyond her 12 years as she took advantage of her rival’s early third-round failings to lead by a stroke.

However, a double bogey at 8, combined with bogeys at 9 and 10, handed the lead and the title to Kim, who noted the tight finish had forced her to dig deep into her game and mental capacity.

“I think it added more fun to it,” said Kim. “The tension between the players meant we had to keep very focused throughout the rounds.

“As you know, the winds were tough, forcing them to postpone the first day, and I feel the players did a good job of not withdrawing and striving to finish in spite of this wind.

“Bermuda is a tough place to play, but beautiful. It’s really a PGA Tour experience out here and I’m thankful to Port Royal and the Bermuda Golf Association for getting the juniors out here to play with us.”

Meanwhile, Deng expressed disappointment in squandering her chance at an inaugural victory, but was able to smile and find solace in her runner-up position.

“I put my shot very far to the left at the 8th hole, which was a par 3, and the wind blew the ball onto the cart path, so I shot a double bogey on that hole,” explained Deng. “I felt normal once I took the lead, because there were still holes left.

“But I think I did good to catch her up. I played OK, but I believe I could have done better if I had made my short putts.”

Bermuda’s lone female competitor, Sienna Mosquera, finished 19th, with a final score of 283.