However, he kept his cool and fought back.

Thirty-five holes later, Hutchison had captured his first Port Macquarie crown.

He began the weekend two strokes ahead of defending champion Blake Poulter and this duo was well clear of a group of golfers, which included Sam Johnson, Brian Sams and Phil Pye.

Johnson injured his hand at school during the week and he was unable to play.

The third round of a championship is often referred to as the moving day and this was certainly the case on Saturday.

Hutchison hit his opening shot into the trees on the left.

His second shot hit a tree and went out of bounds and, when he dropped another ball, he hit the tree twice more before getting back to the fairway.

He showed great temperament to recover from this disastrous start to make 78.

Both Hutchison and Poulter dropped back a bit while Pye and Sams had excellent rounds.

Heading into the final day, Hutchison led by two shots from Pye and Sams with Poulter a further stroke behind.

The four leaders played together on Sunday when conditions were at their toughest.

Pye got off to a great start with birdies at the first and third, enabling him to join Hutchison in the lead.

The fourth hole was playing particularly tough and Pye was the only one of the leading group who was able to make par.

He was actually in the worst position of the quartet but managed to get up and down from 60m out and this enabled him to take the outright lead.

Pye bogeyed the seventh while Poulter had a disastrous six, which included a penalty when his ball moved after he had addressed it.

Poulter’s bad run continued at the ninth when he took six after being just to the right of the green for two.

Pye went out in one under and Hutchison and Sams both turned one over while Poulter had 44 around the front.

At this point, Hutchison and Pye were level with Sams two shots back.

It was going to be hard for Poulter to win from here though he made a great effort, being even par for the back nine.

The fortunes of the leaders fluctuated over the next few holes and after the 15th, Hutchison led by one from Sams with Pye a further shot back.

At the par three 16th Sams got a bad break when he his tee shot went through the green.

He played a good chip shot but he then left his putt agonizingly short of the hole.

Sams did not get a putt all day and this was the third time that he had left his putt just short of the hole.

He probably had more makeable birdie putts than anyone yet he didn’t make a birdie.

Poulter didn’t have things going for him with the putter either and, when he left his ball hanging over the lip of the cup at the 17th, this was the second time it had happened.

At the 17th, Hutchison failed to get up and down from the front of the green and Pye’s birdie putt, which would have drawn him level, just slipped past the hole.

Hutchison led Pye by one going to the last hole with Sams a further shot back.

But, Hutchison took a stranglehold on the cup when he played a superb second shot to two metres.

All players made par at the last and Hutchison had deservedly won his first championship.

Hutchison led at the end of every round and, despite having to recover from that disastrous 10, he had been the most consistent player over the four days.

His day was complete when his beloved Parramatta Eels beat the St George-Illawarra Dragons.