DAN Hollingworth missed out on the prestigious Portugolfe title after a tense decider on the 18th hole against a player whose handicap has fallen from 18 to eight in a year.

The 19-year-old Darwen amateur, who plays off a handicap of one, always knew he would have his work cut out in the Open Singles Championship against players with higher handicaps.

That didn't stop him from reaching the final after six rounds of knockout competition, though.

But the former QEGS pupil couldn't finish the job off on a day when, he admitted, his putting was 'awful'.

"I was gutted," he said. "I putted really badly all week but especially on the final day.

"I had five three-putts, I found the greens really difficult to read so I was really, really gutted about losing.

"I knew I should have won so it was very disappointing to lose on the 18th."

Hollingworth gave his higher-handicap opponent Simon Oldacre, from Derby, a shot on the final par four hole, and that proved his downfall as both players parred.

"I knew that was going to be the case and I gave him five shots on the day. It was made harder as well because the guy's ability really put him at about a six handicap.

"He has only been playing for two years and his handicap is coming down fast and that is great but it made it harder for me to be giving shots to someone who played so well."

Hollingworth was one up going in to the eighth hole and Oldacre, receiving a shot, pulled level after both players parred.

Oldacre moved to one up on the 15th but Hollingworth pulled it back on the 16th and it was all square going into the 18th, where Oldacre was again given a shot.

"I needed to birdie that hole really," said Hollingworth, who boasts professional Nick Dougherty as one of his closest friends. "But as a 450-yard par four that was always going to be tough. It was very disappointing to lose on the 18th."

Although the event, played at the Vila Sol Golf & Country Club in Portugal, is a top singles competition, Hollingworth knows it is in the scratch tournaments where he must perform.

"The Portugolfe tournament is a prestigious event and it was brilliant; the weather was perfect but I really want to do well in the scratch tournaments.

"I'm really happy that I got through to the final but it is obviously gross tournaments that I want to be winning."

Hollingworth was today competing in the professional Tamsel Tour event at Hesketh and will go to High Legh Park in Cheshire.

"I want to put a lot of hard work in this winter, look forward to next season when hopefully I can start winning a few tournaments," he said.