BROOME Manor will again fly the Wiltshire flag in this year's English Champion Club tournament, writes ERNIE NEWELL.

The Swindon municipal earned the right to represent the county in next month's national championship at The Wiltshire Golf Club at Wootton Bassett by winning the weather-hit Wiltshire Inter-club Team Shield for the third year running and eighth time at Ogbourne Downs.

In a tournament reduced from 36 to 18 holes because of torrential rain, the three-man Broome Manor team of Julien Barber, Jason Beint and Miles Mackman recorded a collective score of 241, edging out Marlborough, last year's runners-up and six times champions, by a single stroke.

Wrag Barn were third, four shots further back on 246.

England A squad player Mackman and Barber spearheaded the Manor's victory with rounds of 77. Beint had 87.

Teenage county player Jack Hiscock was Marlborough's leading player with an admirable round of 73, for which he won the Searle Salver for the best individual score of the day. David Bauer had 83 and Paul Green 86.

Wrag Barn's Andy Gibb had the satisfaction of scoring a hole in one at the famous 200-yard valley hole 15th, using a four iron. He went on to score 79.

Other club totals included: Chippenham 250, High Post 250, Ogbourne Downs 254, Upavon 256 and Tidworth 261.

Chippenham won the Coombes Salver for the best nett aggregate with 231, five strokes better than Wrag Barn.

Commenting on the Manor's success at Ogbourne, club captain Kevin Phillips said: "It was a good achievement to win the championship for the third year on the run. The boys did well in terrible conditions and I'm pleased for them."

Phillips had been a member of most of the Manor's Wiltshire Shield-winning teams since the club won the first of their eight titles at Chippenham in 1991, but decided to give this year's event a miss so as to support David Howell in the European Open.

The English Champion Club Tournament will be played at The Wiltshire from August 29 to 31.

Said Phillips: "It'll be nice to represent the county in the tournament on home ground for once."

Last year, the Manor travelled to Hesketh (Southport) where they finished 20th among the 33 finalists, and in 2006 they were 11th at Stoke Poges.

Phillips has been made Wiltshire vice-captain.

He fills the post left vacant at last December's Wiltshire County Golf Union annual meeting and will become the first member of the 32-year-old Broome Manor club to lead the county when he succeeds Cumberwell Park's Alistair James in 2010.

Swindon-born Phillips, 40, started playing golf at Broome Manor 23 years ago and has a handicap of scratch.

He made his county debut in 1992 and played a prominent part in helping Wiltshire win the Daily Telegraph Channel League for the first time in 2000 and this year's South Western Matchplay Championship at Westward Ho!.

He has won the Wiltshire Foursomes Championship five times since 1999 with former county teammate Tom Burley.