AFTER finishing a close second in the Under-14s Lancashire County Golf Championship last year aged just 12, Sean Dobson went one better by claiming the title at the second attempt.

He was pipped on a card play-off 12 months ago by Jack Wallbank, but secured the title this year with a one-shot victory.

Even a torrential downpour, which interrupted play with the final groups four holes from home, could not derail the Bolton youngster.

“I’d managed to keep my score respectable even though I wasn’t playing my best golf,” said Sean, who slipped to four over par after the 10th hole.

“I knew I had to drop no more shots from that point. I birdied 11 which gave me some much-needed confidence. I’d pulled my drive in to the trees, but punched an eight iron under the branches to three feet.”

When the siren sounded for play to be suspended, Sean had hit a wedge to six feet from the pin at 14 – but had to wait an hour before the hard work of the Lancashire officials and Blackley volunteers managed to get the course playable again.

Sean maintained his composure to hole his birdie putt on 14 – but then suffered a setback on the 15th when he hit his second out of bounds.

“Knowing I was leading at two over and then hitting it out of bounds on 15 made me feel sick inside, especially after thinking I’d hit the shot perfectly,” said the Royal Birkdale and Dunscar member who has just turned 14.

He left his fourth shot 30 feet shy of the pin. A good up and down salvaged a double bogey, but he knew he could not afford any more mistakes.

Three straight pars left him in the driving seat to edge out Noah Cambridge from Royal Lytham and St Annes.

“I was so worried I’d lose out on CPO again but when the last group finished I realised I’d won by one,” said Sean, who lives in Heaton and goes to Bolton School where he is captain of the golf team.

“I’d lived with the second place disappointment for 12 months so to deliver on the day was so satisfying.

“It was great to be presented with the trophy by Lancashire president Mike Lay, who used to play golf with my dad, Peter, at Dunscar many years ago. “

Sean is a sporting all-rounder who has also played football and cricket in the top divisions of the Bolton leagues.

But he is now focusing his efforts on golf which he plays off 3.8 and would like to get this down to below 3.0 before the end of the season, and as close to scratch as possible next year.

Another major achievement this year saw him shoot the lowest gross and nett scores – a superb two under par 70 – off the white tees at Hesketh Golf Club in Southport in the Lancashire Associations Under-18s Team Trophy.

At just 13 at the time, as he was when he won the individual Lancashire Under-14s title, it was a potentially daunting challenge facing players from around the county who were up to five years older than him.

But he rose to it in style as he helped the Bolton team to a respectable position with the best performance of the day in the competition which was, coincidentally, sponsored by his dad's company, PMD Business Finance.

"It was strange presenting my own son with his trophies," said Peter. "But I had been asked if I wanted to sponsor the event and I had to do it.

"It was the event's inaugural competition which was organised because there are so many good players around Lancashire and people wanted an event which would give them competitive golf.

"It turned out to be a great success and I've been asked to continue to sponsor it for the next two years."

Under-18s are not the oldest opponents Sean has shone against this summer.

He also returned a two under 70 at Royal Birkdale in his first men’s competition and will now play off for the club’s Jubilee Vase this month.

He has played for Lancashire on three occasions, one of which saw him come from behind to win the last hole in a singles match against Yorkshire boys to gain a half.

Sean, whose regular coach is Philip Newnes from Chilli Dip Golf Academy, added: “I became a member of Royal Birkdale in May this year and the wonderful course and facilities along with the fierce competition have certainly improved my golf."

Among his other achievements this season, Sean finished third in the Bolton Golf Association junior championships and won Dunscar Golf Club’s junior championship for the second time.

He became the youngest player ever to qualify for Dunscar men’s club championships with rounds of 73 and 74, finishing second in qualifying and winning the best net prize before losing in the quarter-final.

He was third in the Bolton Junior Championship, which is for players up to u18s, played for Dunscar men’s team in the Bolton Golf Association league in which he won five, halved one and lost two, and won Dunscar's Richard Openshaw Quaich men’s board competition.

He has also been part of the Lancashire Elite Under-14s squad for the past two seasons under the supervision of ex-European Tour player Jim Payne.