Warren Sutton never knew about All Abilities golf until he read about it on a website.

Soon enough, he asked the question: 'Can I be involved'.

Today at his first start in such an event, he won the All Abilities Riversdale Cup.

Sutton, 55, is a truck driver from Ferntree Gully who plays to a three handicap at Eastwood Golf Club.

He dominated the competition this week at Riversdale, brushing off his main competitors -- Cranbourne's Arnold Ambroong and Future Golf's Mike Rolls -- to win by five shots, shooting 16-over par for the two rounds and a five-over par 77 today.

He and Ambroong were level through nine holes but Sutton pulled away like the good player that he has always been, with Ambroong runner-up ahead of Rolls.

Like so many All Abilities players, he has a great story of resilience to tell.

A truck driver by profession, he endured so much back trouble that he had a spinal fusion (the Tiger Woods operation, no less) in 2006, between the L4 and L5 vertebrae.

A scratch marker when he was a junior at East Malvern (now Malvern Valley), he thought that his golfing was done. "I never thought I'd play golf again," he said. "The doctor said: 'You may never work again'.''

As it happened, he's done both. "I worked hard, I practised," he said.

He is still troubled by pain in the back, but he manages it. "I'm in the situation at the moment as to whether I have the screws in my back taken out our not. It flares up. But movement's the best thing for me. He (the medico) told me: 'Do something that involves walking'. That's why I play golf, because it's walking, walking, walking.''

Sutton was pleasantly shocked by the All Abilities event. "This is one of the biggest things I’ve ever been involved in," he said. "Great golf course, well run, the best time ever. I hope this takes off, I really do. ''

LEADERBOARD