Jamie Harris, the 27-year-old Nevill assistant, snatched the Sussex Open championship from under the nose of David Mills yesterday.

When Mills added a round of 71 to 69 on the opening day for 140, he knew that Harris was still out on the course and, importantly, in his own element. It was no great surprise, therefore, when Harris went one better and posted a 70 for 139 to pouch the £1,000 first prize.

For the past six years, Harris has been a professional attached to the Nevill, where his membership goes back to the time when he wore short trousers.

It was Paul Lyons, with a five- under par 66, the lowest round of the championship, who set the target. It would have been tougher than 141 but he was saddled with an opening 75 and, despite firing seven birdies second time around, he was pushed into third place.

After being one shot off the overnight lead on 69, Harris was always going to be in with a shout. He went out in two under yesterday and eagled the 11th yet had trouble with his wedge on 17 and took six.

He said: "I thought five or six under might do it but I thought I'd blown it. Curiously, I struggled on the back nine both days. The front nine is reckoned to be trickier but it didn't work out that way for me.

He had something to prove. "Last year this event was an absolute disaster for me and a low point of my year. This time I wouldn't say my golf has been all that great but I managed to hold my game together."

That one-stroke margin over Mills also secured the position of leading assistant and on Sunday Harris is off to St Anne's Old Links to play in the National Assistants' championship fortified with a title.

Mid-morning rain made conditions a little more tricky for the leaders and Mills admitted to putting poorly as the greens slowed. He has cleaned up in Sussex over the years but this was one championship that continues to elude him after being runner-up three times.

Ian Yeatman, the Tilgate Forest left-hander, was the unexpected overnight leader on 68. Unfancied and unknown, Yeatman required ten more strokes in his second round and it was Michael Lindfield on 144 who took the medal as leading amateur.

Before a ball was struck, Tim Spence was reckoned to have a good chance of adding the Open championship to the Sussex Professional title he won a fortnight ago. Three under with three holes remaining, he had two visits to the out of bounds and missed the cut by two strokes.

Unluckiest player was surely Carl Rota. He started with a 71 but failed to get his car started for the journey from Rustington to Tunbridge Wells. Instead he forked out £75 for a taxi and took 76.