Robert Vallis found his touch on the greens to get the better of Nick Mansell and ease to his fourth Bermuda Amateur Match Play title on Saturday.

Mansell started the stronger, but was overhauled in the second round of the 36-hole final at the Mid Ocean Club, as Vallis out-putted his opponent to win four and three.

Jennifer Spurling enjoyed an even more comfortable victory in the final of the Ladies Championship flight, taking command from the start and finally seeing off Dolly Winwick five and four.

In the morning's play, Vallis did not get his nose in front until the 17th hole and after 18, he was one-up.

Then he stepped up the pressure on Mansell.

"I putted a great deal better in the afternoon," said Vallis. "I think the turning point was probably at ten, when I was 20 to 25 feet away and he was six feet away. I rolled in my birdie putt and he missed his."

Vallis, a 49-year-old doctor, made his experience tell against an opponent 14 years his junior.

Mansell came out of the blocks fastest, forging ahead with an eagle at the second.

After 10 holes, Vallis was still two-down, but after 16, the match was all square again.

A birdie at the 17th gave Vallis the lead and he halved the 18th to gain the psychological advantage of leading at the halfway point after trailing for most of the round.

Vallis, also a three-time Bermuda Amateur Stroke Play Championships winner, said he relished the match play format.

"I like match play, it's what I've grown up on," said Vallis. "Playing head to head is a totally different game from stroke play - you can have a real battle.

"If you are playing a 72-hole stroke play event and you have a bad hole, it can put you out of it altogether. In match play, you just lose a hole."

Vallis said it was the first time he had played with Mansell.

"Nick's a very good player and he strikes the ball very well and quite long," said Vallis, "But I think his putting maybe let him down a little bit."

Mansell, the golf course superintendent at Port Royal, said he had been happy with his achievement of reaching the final and was magnanimous in defeat.

"It was a pretty close game in the morning, but in the afternoon Robert was just putting superbly," said Mansell. "Robert is an old hand at this and his experience and just his all-round game was superb."

Mansell, whose success in reaching the final forced him to delay by a day his departure for a trip to Jamaica with the Bermuda Regiment, added: "I was a bit nervous, but I think I controlled my nerves pretty well.

"I think I hit the ball very well, it was just on the greens my game was not so good. I have not been playing much tournament golf so I've not been used to playing under that kind of pressure."

For 21-year-old Spurling, it was the second time she had claimed the women's crown, having first triumphed in 1999.

The student of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, took the initiative from the start to go five-up by the halfway stage of the 36-hole encounter and Spurling held her advantage to run out the winner over Winwick by five and four.

"I was pleased with my game," said Spurling. "I hit the ball really solid and my approach shots around the green were pretty good."

In the men's consolation championship flight final, Howard DeSilva edged out Douglas Morris one-up to take the honours.