Paul Lyons is fast clearing up in Sussex.

He retained the Sussex Open title at Littlehampton when a record £5,500 kitty was on offer only ten days after scooping the Clearview Windows Short Course Championship at Burgess Hill.

The Paxhill Park pro, this year's runner-up in the South Region Championship, fired rounds of 68 and 66 for 134 to win at Littlehampton by one stroke from Seaford's David Mills.

Lyons, 33, has been at Paxhill just under two years and lost little time in making an impact in Sussex.

Almost as soon as he arrived Lyons was runner-up in the Sussex Professional Championship but this was no real surprise.

After turning pro in 1987 he soon started making his presence felt in Kent and won the pro championship of that county and went on to represent the PGA of Europe. He had a spell on the Challenge Tour eight years ago and is now running into something like form.

At Littlehampton, there was a very real sense of deja vu when not only Lyons re-affirmed his leading position but Goodwood's Richard Stillwell was again leading amateur on 137.

But the guy you had to feel for was Terry Marshall of Eastbourne Downs.

He led at the half-way stage with a four under-par 66. This was a round straight out of the top deck by an unfancied competitor who had hardly played at all.

Most of his time is taken up with teaching and on the second day lack of practice caught up with him.

From pole position he slumped to 81 and finished seven over. That he brought Littlehampton to its knees with five birdies in the first round and dropped only one shot was the subject of much admiring comment.

Next day, however, Terry lurched into a nightmare scenario.

He lost two balls on the front nine, one in the Rife at the fifth and another on the ninth.

"I lost my swing on the first nine when it was windier and was 11 over. I had to prove that I hadn't lost my game entirely and came back level, but the damage was done. As I am devoting most of my time to teaching I have let my game go a little bit and haven't played in anything to speak of for two years."

Despite the petrol shortage there were no apologies for absence, 75 competing on the first day and 37 qualifying for the second round in the Championship sponsored by Frank Shannon, captain of the SPGU vice-presidents.

Sussex PGU members and county amateurs look forward all year to the event. This time there were 11 non-pros and Stillwell's high placing reflected the strength of the amateur game in Sussex.

Leading scores: 134: Paul Lyons (Paxhill Park) 68, 66. 135: David Mills (Seaford) 67, 68. 137: Richard Stillwell (Goodwood) 69, 68 x. 139: Mark Fairhall (Haywards Heath) 68, 71; Chris Fogden (Bognor Regis) 68, 71; Nick Tull (Goodwood) 69, 70 x. 140: Scott Nightingale (Worthing) 67, 73 x; Jason Partridge (Piltdown) 66, 74. 141: Lawrie Tremlett (Lewes) 69, 72 x; Joe Doherty (Worthing) 67, 74 x; Marcus Groombridge (unattached) 69, 72; Neil Darnell (Slinfold) 70, 71.

x - amateur.