GED Furey won the £10,000 James Brearley Lancashire Open for the fifth time in nine years at Blackpool North Shore -- then paid tribute to Jack Walker.

"He inspired me throughout my career and with this tournament finishing on the day of his funeral I had him in my thoughts all the way round," said Furey after closing with a 68 for a nine-under-par total of 133 and victory by a shot from European Tour player Paul Eales.

Walker was a member of Pleasington, where Furey has been professional for 17 years, and recently funded a new clubhouse.

"He once told me 'think big and you will be big' and that advice stuck in my mind. What many people don't realise is that Jack was very much into golf.

"He gave me a big chance in 1989 when he invited me to play in the Jersey Open and I not only made the cut but played the last round with Sam Torrance.

"That was a tremendous boost for me."

Furey intended to wear a black sweater as a mark of respect but it would have been too uncomfortable under the scorching Blackpool sun.

But he also turned up the heat a few degrees with some sizzling shots as he and Royal Lytham-attached Eales met head-to-head.

A shot behind overnight after Eales had blitzed the course record with a seven-under-par 64, Furey pulled level with a birdie at the 524-yard third then edged two ahead after his opponent bogeyed the 10th and 11th.

Eales retrieved the situation with two birdies but then Furey rolled in one for himself at the short 17th and that was that.

He added: "I missed several chances from 10 feet on the inward half and I thought my chance had gone because you can't afford too many slips against a player of Paul's ability."

Defending champion Craig Corrigan, of Haigh Hall, birdied the last for a 71 to finish third, three shots off the pace.

And leading amateur was county player Richard Walker, a former pro who plays at Walton Hall. He handed in a pair of 69s, four-under-par in total.

SCORES: James Brearley Lancashire Open (Blackpool North Shore) final rd: 133 G Furey (Pleasington) 65,68; 134 P Eales (Royal Lytham) 64,70; 136 C Corrigan (Haigh Hall) 65,71; 137 M Jones (Heaton Park) 69,68, S Townend (Wilpshire) 68,69; 138 *R Walker (Walton Hall) 69,69; 139 T Hastings (West Lancs) 69,70, R Hutt (Royal Birkdale) 69,70, P Roberts (Grange Park) 68,71, D Shacklady (Leisure Lakes) 67,72; 140 *D Johnson (St Annes Old Links) 71,69, *M Ramsdale (Formby) 70,70, I Taylor (Preston) 69,71, *S Crompton (Hindley Hall) 69,71; 141 *M Cox (Royal Birkdale) 73,68, B Squires (Fairhaven) 70,71.

*Denotes amateur.