opponent Joel Hirsch staged a determined late fightback, Scott Mayne had to dig deep into his reserves to pull off a stunning one-up victory over the American in the final of the 65th Bermuda Amateur Match Play Championships at Mid Ocean Club on Saturday.

Only the strong would survive the elements, and after the two finalists had overcome the worst possible conditions to take the match down to the last putt on the 18th hole, the Bermudian stood in triumph as he punched the air in excitement after sinking a 15-footer to win his third match play title.

It looked as though the 34-year-old local favourite had blown his chance of victory when the defending champion came back to win three straight holes -- 12, 13 and 14 with par, birdie, par -- to not only eliminate the two-hole lead Mayne held since the ninth but take the lead himself.

However, one single stroke was to change the match when, on the 15th, Mayne chipped onto the green with his third shot from a difficult position and then watched as the ball rolled back and stopped less than two feet from the pin.

Hirsch put his third shot short of the green and Mayne went on to win the hole with a birdie.

The next two holes were shared to set up the stage for a dramatic last hole as an eager crowd looked on.

Both put their tee shots to the left, so as to stay away from the cliff on the right, but Mayne had a better lie after Hirsch ended up in the bunker. Both were on the green in three but Hirsch missed his 22-foot putt.

"He had a more difficult putt, mine was flat but his was uphill and over a ridge,'' explained Mayne.

"Number 15 was the turning point. I missed the green but when he also missed the green my attitude turned around. I didn't think I was going to win after he won three holes in a row on the back nine.

"Obviously, the conditions were the story of the day; first the wind, which made it difficult, and then the rain. I felt I could win a hole with a bogey.

The conditions were as tough as I've ever played here.'' After the first 18 holes, played under south-westerly winds in the morning, the players had to first deal with the wind, which had shifted from the north-west and then the rain, which greeted them on number six and sent the few dozen spectators hurrying for shelter under trees.

"It (wind direction) confused me on hole number seven when I hit the ball in the water,'' explained Mayne. "I took for granted it was from the same direction.

"It was a big adjustment, like playing one course in the morning and another in the afternoon.'' Having led by one after the first 18 holes and then going two-up after number four in the afternoon, Mayne found himself struggling with the rainy conditions though he returned to two-up after losing the seventh, sharing the eighth and then winning the ninth, which Hirsch conceded.

"My hands got so cold after eight that I lost feeling and then the grips got wet,'' he explained.

"I just didn't do a very good job of managing myself in the (rainy) conditions. I took too long to adjust to the rain. I kept thinking it would go away.'' Despite the conditions the players produced a match worthy of a final as the 52-year-old came charging back just when Mayne might have been thinking of victory.

"He's a true gentleman,'' Mayne said of Hirsch afterwards. "Both of us played well under the conditions. It feels good to beat a champion like him.

This is the toughest one to win in amateur golf.'' Hirsch was sporting in defeat as he accepted his runner-up award from the Governor afterwards, taking the time to praise both the new champion and the organisers of the tournament.

"Scott, you're a very fitting champion and I wish you all the best,'' said Hirsch.

Added the American just moments before departing for the airport where he boarded a flight back to Chicago: "It was the kind of conditions that would beat a lot of guys who would have given up. That's why Scott is a great guy, he played some brilliant shots and stuck with it. He played well and deserved to win.'' American Rick Cunha won the championship flight consolation final with a three and two win over Robert De Witt, while Roger Harvey won the first flight after beating Dennis Lowe on the 19th in an all-Bermuda final.