Texan Jody Vasquez brushed off a spirited challenge by fellow American George Marucci to win the 66th Bermuda Men's Amateur Championships at Mid Ocean Golf Club on Saturday by one-up after 36 holes.

The 48-year-old player from Forth Worth, Texas, finally able to relax since play started in the morning, summed up his opponent this way: "He was a heck of a fighter.'' Indeed it was a formidable performance by both Vasquez and George Marucci, his opponent from Pennsylvania, turning out to be the exhilarating match-up that was expected from the two scratch players.

For the first time in four years the final took place under extremely good weather conditions even though occasional strong winds on various holes posed to be a challenge for the players.

But -- as they had done all week -- the two players performed as if Mid Ocean was their own club ground and not like a course that they had just become accustomed to for the first time early last week.

They both finished the first 18 holes in the morning with a three-over-par 75 but blitzed around the course in the afternoon in fine fashion with Vasquez carding even par and Marucci a 72.

It appeared as though the course offered no real challenge, but the new champion scoffed at that notion.

"Any quality player would admit that it's a challenging course, the wind really makes it tough to play,'' said Vasquez. "I tend to play well on courses that ask you to manage the ball and if I have courses that I set the ball from left to right on then I tend to play it well.'' Though he prevailed at the end Vasquez gave his opponent credit for fighting all the way, producing the gallery of 30 with competition that left many gasping in disbelief as the advantage fluctuated with one going one-up and the other countering by drawing even on the next hole.

That was the pattern of play throughout the day, until the start of the final nine holes when Vasquez finally went two-up on the 10th.

"He is an outstanding player,'' said Vasquez of Marucci. "If you look at his record it would be hard to find any amateur who is better. I expected it to be a difficult match from the beginning, and it certainly was.'' The 10th was a perfect example of Marucci's determination to win, after falling behind two-down he clawed his way back into contention by winning the 11th, 12th and 13th to go one-up -- holes where Vasquez said "the wind was a great problem''.

Vasquez however persevered and showed great qualities by winning the 15th with a birdie to draw them even again, then Marucci's game slipped after he bogeyed the 16th to fall one back.

With the 17th and 18th halved in pars the way was left for Vasquez to sail home with the victory.

In the end the new champion conceded that it was pure luck that he entered the tournament.

"We were going to Acapulco, Mexico, for a holiday but the kids were on a spring break from school and our oldest son Matthew was allowed to play, so we came here,'' said Vasquez. "In actual fact if he wasn't allowed to play we probably would not have come here in the end.'' He added: "Everything worked out well, we all enjoyed the tournament and the beauty and cleanliness of Bermuda and I have every intention of coming back to defend the title.''