TONY Jackson received an early birthday present when he won the Harold Ryden East Lancs GA Championship last night at Darwen.

In control from the opening hole, which he won in par, the Blackburn player, 26 next Monday, never allowed game opponent Mike Bardi from Mytton Fold to gain a foothold.

He closed out the match on the 15th green with a firmly-rapped 10-footer that gained him a 4 and 3 victory.

"It's the biggest event I've ever won - I feel fantastic," said Jackson, who made a return to the Lancashire team this season after a seven-year absence.

"Hopefully, I can use this as a springboard to go on and compete successfully at national level.

"I was really psyched up early on and seized the initiative so it was difficult for Mike to get into the match.

"But I'm sure that one day this trophy will be his."

From the moment Bardi missed a five foot putt on the second green to go two down, it appeared to be Jackson's day.

The 22-year-old Bardi, who equalled the course record with a 63 in the qualifying on Saturday, was competing at this level for the first time and his inexperience, in relation to Jackson, told. He lost four out of the first five holes to par - winning the third hole with par himself to break Jackson's stranglehold - and never came close to approaching his best.

"I didn't settle on the first hole and never really made it up from there," said a disappointed Bardi, who accepted defeat graciously.

"Tony deserved it - he played solidly and took his chances when he had to."

If any one hole proved decisive it was the 13th.

After a short drive into the wind Bardi's well-struck approach shot pulled up just short of the green.

Faced with a 190-yard second shot, Jackson was caught between a three and four iron, opted for the four and smashed it 15 feet right of the hole, pin high.

"That was the best shot I hit all week," said Jackson and it took him back to three up.

Bardi was unlucky on the next when he marked his ball the length of a putter head to the left to get out of Jackson's line, but forgot to replace it before holing his six-foot putt. It cost him the hole.

It was all over one hole later when Jackson slammed in his 10-footer after Bardi's birdie effort had checked inches short.

"Two weeks ago I played for Lancashire against Northumberland and lost my match after needing birdies on the final two holes to win, getting one on 17 but missing out at the last," recalled Jackson.

"That experience really helped this week - it toughened me up and gave me the resolve I needed to win."

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