Michael Tavares beat off a strong final-round challenge from Blake Marshall and the effects of his own jangling nerves to win his first Bermuda Amateur Strokeplay Championship yesterday.

Tavares had started the fourth round at Port Royal with a six-shot lead, but Marshall played solidly to whittle Tavares' advantage down to one shot to set up a tense finale.

In the end, Marshall bogeyed the par-four 18th and Tavares made par, giving the 57-year-old five-handicapper a two-stroke victory and a four-round total of 303.

Jennifer Spurling was another first-time winner in the ladies' event, easing to victory by nine shots in the 54-hole contest.

Tavares admitted he had been battling with his nerves throughout yesterday.

"I don't think I've ever been so nervous as I was out there," he said. "There was tremendous pressure. I was aiming to forget about the other players and play against par. I thought if I can stay close to par, they're going to have to make birdies to beat me."

And the eventual winner admitted he was so focused on the golf that he was unaware he had a one-shot lead at the 18th tee.

"Actually, on the 18th green, I thought we were tied. I had no idea what the position was. But it was fun.

"I thought I had to beat him on 17 or 18 and when I beat him on 18, I still wasn't sure, but they told me I had won by two strokes.

"It's fantatstic. For an amateur to win his country's amateur title - you can't get any higher than that."

Tavares' remarkable one-over-par 72 in Saturday's pouring rain proved to be the key to his victory.

"To me, my 72 was a tremendous achievement," said Tavares. "I think the closest to me was about 78. I usually play well in the rain. If I was a racehorse, they'd call me a `mudder'. If you have all the gear, the bad weather shouldn't bother you, you just play."

Yesterday's highest drama came at holes 15 and 16.

Tavares was leading by three shots at the 15th tee, but made a wayward drive and missed a two-foot putt, while Marshall made par to cut the lead to one.

Marshall then hit a superb tee shot at the par-three 16th to within 20 feet of the pin, while Tavares drove straight into the sand trap to the right of the green. Tavares took two attempts to escape from the bunker and it seemed his lead was about to be wiped out.

But crucially, Marshall then three-putted for bogey, while Tavares sank a crisp 15-foot putt to halve the hole.

Tavares said afterwards: "When he lipped out, I just had an adrenaline surge and I knew I couldn't miss the putt. It went in and it was a wonderful feeling."

Marshall also felt that had been a key moment.

"After I hit my tee shot at the 16th I thought I could win it, I really did," said Marshall. "But then I three-putted and he made a great putt when it looked like he was losing two. The momentum was with me, but at that moment it switched back to him. It was a crucial hole."

Marshall added: "I was six shots behind at the start of the day, then I double-bogeyed the first hole and I was seven behind at the second tee. But I know anything can happen in golf if you just keep playing.

"I picked up one shot on the front nine and I knew I could pick up two or three more on the back nine and that started to happen.

"This is a tournament I've always wanted to win and I came close today. I just wanted to put up a good fight today and I took it to the last hole, so I'm proud of that."

Tim Carr shot a fine 72 yesterday to finish just three strokes adrift of Tavares and claim third place, while in fourth place was junior Eric West five shots further back.

Twenty-year-old Spurling was a comfortable winner in the ladies' event as her three-round total of 242 saw off her closest challenger, Stephanie Lewis, by nine shots.

Laura Robinson (253) was fourth, one stroke ahead of fourth-placed Ebonie Burgess.

"This is the tournament I really wanted to win," said Spurling. "Last year I lost out to Alisa Harding, so I'm relieved I won this time. I hit the ball really well."

Spurling admitted she had struggled with Saturday's appalling conditions.

"I shot 90 on Saturday - that was the highest round I've had in about three years. I was hoping they'd cancel it. But it was the same for everybody and you just have to have patience. I thought I'd be out of it after that, but nobody managed to post a good score."