TALK about going out in style! Sue Warrington claimed her twelfth Bury and District Golf Association ladies' title on Wednesday evening then vowed it would be her last.

Her 3 & 1 triumph over Bury clubmate Andrea Holt on their home course was a fitting way to bring the curtain down on a truly amazing sequence of championships.

Medical receptionist Sue, a three handicapper, has competed in every ladies championship since 1976 and amazingly has never failed to qualify for the matchplay section in all 25 tournaments.

"That's my proudest achievement," she told the Bury Times yesterday. "But I'm absolutely thrilled to bits about winning a twelfth title, it's a nice round figure. I always wanted to bow out on my home course and that's the way it's worked out.

"People have said to me that I'll change my mind but I don't feel as though I will.

"I said after last year's final that this would be my last championship and I woke up on Thursday morning and didn't feel any different." Sue suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Angela Hardman in last years showdown at Breightmet but Andrea made sure there would be no repeat when she saw off the reigning title holder 4 & 3 at the quarter final stage.

Meanwhile, Sue was have the better of things at the expense of Harwood's Rita Towler and cruised into the semi-finals with a 6 & 5 success.

Breightmet's Linda Brown was the next to get the Warrington treatment, going down 2 & 1 as Andrea ended the hopes of Rossendale's Val Willis 5 & 3.

In the final it was nip and tuck all the way but Sue always had the edge and at the fifteenth was three up.

Andrea, who plays off seven, pulled one back on the sixteenth with a magnificent long putt on a notoriously difficult green but it was business as usual on the seventeenth to make it a dream occasion for the champion.

"It was solid golf from start to finish and there wasn't much between us. I think Andrea only dropped four shots while I dropped one, we both played well on the night."

In only her fifth season in the game after a magnificent table tennis career that saw her compete in the Olympic Games, Andrea can be proud of her achievement.

"Her time will come," said Sue. "With a few more seasons under her belt there's no doubt in my mind she's a future championship winner."

The champion still expects to stay in club competition and team matches but now plans to concentrate on her involvement with the selection committee for the Lancashire ladies team.

"I've just got to redirect my focus and concentrate on other people's golf now," she added.

"It's putting something back into a game that I love and if my experience can help others, then all well and good."