HARRY Mitchell may not have won the county championship, but his stunning performances were the talk of first two days at Parkstone.

The 18-year-old reigning boys champion added the Garrett Salver to his trophy collection with a runaway success in the qualifying strokeplay event.

Mitchell, who carded rounds of a 66 and 71 for a seven-under-par total, finished eight shots clear of club-mate and eventual champion Sonny Wilkinson.

In fact, the Ferndown friends were the only two players to shoot red figures, with Wilkinson opening up with a one-under-par 71 before adding a 74 in the afternoon. Joining them on the podium was Ferndown club champion Fraser Dawson, who finished third with scores of 72 and 74.

All three Ferndown players will now play off scratch and are able to enter the local Open qualifying event on their home course.

Mitchell went on to further heroics in the matchplay phase when he came from six down after seven to beat Weymouth’s Tom Robson at the 20th hole.

Mitchell levelled the match with a hole-in-one on the 142-yard 16th hole.

“I’ve had a hole-in-one before in a practice round, but never when it really matters,” said Mitchell.

“I was one down going to the 16th. I hit a wedge and I knew it was good, although we couldn’t see where it finished from the raised tee. When we got down there we couldn’t see the ball, so there was only one place it could be,” he added.

After the prize-giving, captain Giles Legg named his Dorset team for the South West Week.

Parkstone greenkeeper Steve Richardson was also praised by officials and players for the superb condition of the course.

Dorset’s South West team: Sonny Wilkinson, Tom Leech, Harry Mitchell, Fraser Dawson, Giles Legg (all Ferndown); Tom Peacock (Parkstone); Tom Robson, John Welch, Robert Mabb (Weymouth); Daniel Bishop (Christchurch).