The hot shots at East Brighton are not easily impressed but Danny O'Rourke's closing round of 65 in the club championship drew unstinting praise from his rivals.

A seven under par card followed an opening 69 to give O'Rourke 134 and his third title by nine strokes from course record holder Dave Ballard.

Last month Ballard signed for a 64 in the club medal. Danny's new overall ten under mark is believed to be the lowest 36 holes total recorded in the championship.

The pair were within hailing distance of each other and Ballard, aware that O'Rourke was burning up the course behind, called out: "Keep going the way you are and the championship is yours, but don't break my 64, I've only had it for a few weeks."

O'Rourke obeyed and proudly received the Ralph Plant Memorial Trophy for a performance that will go down as one of the finest by an amateur in East Brighton's history.

Past captain Gary Brayshaw said O'Rourke had played the best golf he had ever seen.

O'Rourke won his first title in 1997 after a tie with Anthony Schofield, who dominated the event for many years, and again in 2000.

He said: "I played solidly all day and only missed one green in the afternoon and that was the tenth. It was typical of Dave that he should encourage me.

"I could have shot lower than 65. I bogeyed the first, then had birdies at five, six and eight and came back in 32 which was five under.

"Then came birdies at 11, 12 and 15 but I had an eagle putt hang on the lip at 15 and at 16 the ball horseshoed out for a birdie."

Ballard finished in style by eagling the last with a drive, wedge and 15-footer. Such was his accuracy through to the green that he did not miss a fairway.

At lunch, O'Rourke led by two strokes from Gary Payne and when the final scores were totted up, Ballard was second after carding 69 following a disappointing first round 74.

Last month, O'Rourke took over as course manager at Horne Park, a nine-holer near Godstone that has been bought by Neil Burke and Matt Allen for £750,000.

Burke, formerly at Horsham Golf and Fitness Centre, where O'Rourke was head greenkeeper, is no stranger to low scores at East Brighton.

He won the Sussex Professional Championship there with a score in the mid-60s. Before going to Horsham, he had had 18 months at The Nevill with Paul Huggett.

Burke moved on to Surrey Golf and Fitness at Chertsey from Horsham and has joined up with Allen, who won the Sussex Amateur as a Nevill member in 1995. A broken leg playing football ended Allen's days in county golf and he moved to West Malling.

Burke said: "With Horne Park I think we have a chance. There is a golf academy and driving range and we are running the Young Masters Golf programme. It is the ideal place for beginners. We are very pleased to have Danny on board."

O'Rourke received his early training as a greenkeeper at East Brighton , then moved to East Blatchington and Horsham. He rejoined East Brighton as a member in April and now plays to 0.6 after the round of a lifetime.

Leading scores:

134 Danny O'Rourke, 69, 65.

143 David Ballard, 74, 69.

147 Mark Brayshaw, 80, 67.

149 Gary Brayshaw, 74, 75.

150 Alun Davies, 75, 75.