MICHAEL Hunt did a Tiger Woods when he planned his schedule at the start of the season.

"Like him, I decided to pick and choose my events and see if I could rise to the challenge," he said after picking up the prestigious trophy from Mitsushiba boss Phil Wood last week.

"It had nothing to do with tiring myself out because I'm very fit and 72 holes over a weekend doesn't worry me.

"I just wanted to give myself time to do other things as well," he added.

His strategy paid off as he won the Mitsushiba Northern Order of Merit after competing in only 10 of the 28 tournaments.

The 26-year-old Lancashire player from Pleasington was quick out of the blocks with back-to-back victories in the Formby Hare and Pines Trophy at Hillside, later finishing runners-up in the Revidge Cannon at Blackburn, Ingham Trophy at Rossendale and the Wilpshire Trophy.

He led the table for most of the season but he only clinched the title in the last event when he birdied the 17th in the Childwall Trophy.

Otherwise, he would have been overtaken by his county team-mate Ken Hudson, the 2001 winner from Hart Common, who in the final reckoning fell 15 points short in the tightest finish since the merit started 16 years ago.

Ashton-on-Mersey's Kevin Kean, a Cheshire player, took third spot 95 points off the pace. And Garry Boardman, a former Red Rose stalwart and a five-time winner from Castle Hawk, was a contender throughout as he ended a creditable sixth.

"You only need to look at the leading players to see how strong the merit is," said Hunt. "They all play for Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and the Isle of Man so it's a great form-guide for the counties."