It's an amazing golf story. A young player loses 11 balls during a club championship final but still wins the title. Daniel Mills, 17 and a four handicapper, overcame the lost ball problem and atrocious conditions to win the Southland Golf Club's senior championship at the Oreti Sands links last weekend,beating Kerry Russell, 2 and 1, in the final. "I'm not that straight off the tee and the conditions didn't help," Mills said today. "It was blowing a gale and freezing cold and then driving rain showers in the afternoon. "I had to send Dad to get me some more balls at lunchtime. I only had some low-quality balls left and told him to get some good ones." Mills lost balls on five holes in the morning, including three on the second hole and two each on the eighth and 13th holes. In spite of the nine lost balls, Mills was 1-up at lunch and 2-up after 27 holes. Russell squared the match at the 15th but Mills won the next two to claim the title.
