The crowning of a new champion and the return of an old one - after a more than decade - highlighted the holiday weekend's Bermuda Amateur Strokeplay Golf Championship.

Jarryd Dillas took a significant step towards fulfilling the rich potential he has shown by clinching his first major title with a two-over-par total of 286 (70-70-74-72) at Port Royal Golf Course yesterday.

This score - only two strokes off the tournament record set in the competition's inaugural year (1967) by Doug Dalziel - gave him a seven-shot victory over defending champion, Dr. Robert Vallis, who ended the four-round event on nine-over 293 (70-74-76-73). Fraser Hunt (76-75-73-77) edged Quinton Sherlock Jr on retrogression for third place as both finished on 301.

"This is my first amateur title. It's the biggest title of my career. I am very happy with that.

"It was a lot of fun. Going into it I wasn't swinging well but I've been scoring well so I was pretty confident. But this weekend exceeded my expectations. I really putted well, especially today (yesterday). I holed out a lot of key putts which kept my rounds going and I'm very happy with my score," declared 17-year-old Dillas, entering the clubhouse to hearty applause from fellow golfers and spectators.

Kim Marshall made an emphatic return to the amateur ranks, wresting the ladies' three-round championship by three shots from last year's winner Jennifer Spurling. Marshall, who last lifted the Strokeplay title in 1990, carded 17-over 230 (78-72-80) to the runner-up's 233 (81-78-74). Ebonie Burgess finished third on 238 (79-78-81).

"It's very nice to be back and to win but I wish I could have played better. Today (yesterday) wasn't a very good day. I shot 80. It would have been nice to finish with a lower score but that's golf," said 28-year-old Marshall who sat out three years of competition to regain her amateur status.

The winner said she copped some "bad breaks" in her first round of 78 but bounced back in the second with 72. Also, she felt "very rusty" and "slightly nervous" at the first tee on day one.

"I was just trying to give my best and see what the competition was like since I had not played in so long."

Despite relinquishing her title, Spurling was quite pleased with her performance, particularly the fact that her scores got progressively better.

"I have not played a lot in the last six months so I didn't expect to do that great. I saw Kim was playing and I knew she would play well, coming off being a pro, so I didn't expect to win it.

"I'm happy with the way I played, especially after today's round I feel a lot better," said the 22-year-old.

Burgess, 17, was disappointed in her showing, saying she could not find her groove and knows she could have done better.

Vallis, too, felt he could have played better and put up a harder fight to try and hold onto his title. At the half-way stage he had been four shots adrift of Dillas (140 to 144) but by Sunday's third round the latter's lead had stretched to six shots, a comfortable cushion going into the final round.

"I putted poorly in the second and third rounds and that affected the rest of my game. I didn't play as well as I did in the first round. Giving him too much of a lead made it difficult for me. Yesterday (Sunday), I eagled 17 and got it back to three-over and if I could have parred the last hole it would have meant I was only four shots behind which would have been much more of a challenge going into today (yesterday).

"Today anything could have happened. It was tight up until the last few holes and then I bogeyed the last two (holes) today," said Vallis.

Putting aside his disappointment, the 50-year-old paid tribute to his successor.

"Jarryd is a very good young player. He hits the ball extremely well, very powerful and he really kept it together. He played good, steady golf and didn't make a lot of mistakes. He's a very deserving champion.

"I guess I can say I kept most of the youngsters at bay but not Jarryd. He is too good, especially on a course that he knows. It's really an easy course for him."

Dillas credited his short game for his success and admitted he felt the pressure of knowing any slip-ups might let Vallis back in the running.

"Dr Vallis is a great champion and I knew he'd be there the whole way, even coming down the back nine today butterflies started creeping in and I was getting nervous. I just had to calm down and I made a few good putts."

Hunt, 19, said he struggled all four days and was never happy with his game.

"I never really got anything going. I seemed to have a few bad holes every day and Jarryd played great, so I would have had a lot of work to do anyway."

Given how he played, he conceded finishing third was "not the end of the world".

Meanwhile, Derek Holland and Wendy Salvia won the net championships with scores of 284 and 215 respectively.