National squad team mates Scott Arnold and Brendan Smith fought out the final round of the Lake Macquarie Amateur Golf Championships at Belmont Golf Club on Friday. After a thrilling head-to-head struggle, Arnold prevailed by three shots finishing with a 15 under 273 for the four rounds. Smith, who just couldn&apost buy a putt throughout the tournament, finished with his fourth consecutive three under 69 today to total 276 for the four rounds. In the second nine today, Arnold looked to be winning in a cake-walk at fifteen under and four shots ahead of the field. But on the 16th hole there was high drama when his tee shot finished in the fairway bunker and his second shot buried just below the lip of the bunker above the sand. An official ruled that his ball had been embedded through the fairway and he was allowed a free drop at the nearest point of relief. The mistake cost him a bogey six on the hole and when Smith birdied, the margin was just two with two holes to play. But Arnold recovered well with a birdie on the last after a superb approach shot which left him less than a metre from the cup. The two good mates, who stay at each other&aposs homes when playing in Newcastle and Sydney, hugged happily on the final green. Arnold had eight birdies and two bogeys in his final round and putted superbly. He had consecutive birdies at the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th holes. Smith had three birdies in his 69. Frenchman, Alexandre Kaleka, half-way leader, Robert Payne, and Englishman, Charles Ford, shared 3rd place on 279. Payne fought back well with a 69 today after his 75 yesterday. source: Belmont Golf Club