News

Andrew Griffin reports from Seaford Golf Club..............

Hampshire claimed the South East Colts title for a third year running as captain Tom Robson’s young men got the better of Essex for the second time in three years.

It was the third time in a row the two counties had met in the final, but having missed out on retaining the trophy outright when Hampshire hosted the event 12 months ago at Rowlands Castle as the visitors claimed a draw on the final green leaving the finalists to share the silverware for six months each, the South Division champions ran out the victors by 61/2-51/2 points at Seaford Golf Club, in East Sussex, on Sunday.

But victory owed a great deal to Corhampton’s Sam Day - the man who spends his days dealing with equipment needs of the best players on the European Tour in his role as a tour technician for golf club giants Taylormade – who sank a crucial 30-footer for birdie to win his match on the 18th.

His week had begun up in Scotland, working on the tour truck at the Dunhill Links event up in Scotland, before a quick dash back down to south to join up with this Hampshire team-mates.

Last year, while working for equipment rivals Srixon at their Alton HQ, he played the golf of his life to force his way into the Hampshire first team and was part of the team who came so close to upsetting Lancashire on the final day at the English County Finals, at Wychwood Park, in Cheshire, at the end of September, 2015, before appearing in the Colts final a fortnight later.

But this season, his golf has had to take much more of a back seat with the demands of life on tour as he has travelled all over the UK and Europe since the switch to TaylorMade in March, so he missed out on a place in the team as Hampshire ended up as runners-up to Yorkshire at Sandwell Park two weeks ago.

The U21 trophy’s eventual destination was very much in the balance during the eight afternoon singles after Day was beaten in his morning foursomes match with former Hampshire junior Sam Parsons, from Blackmoor, making his Colts debut.

Essex were trailing 21/2-11/2 at lunch but had a firm stranglehold on the middle five matches which would have given them the crucial 61/2 points needed for victory if they had closed them all out.

Day was two down with three to play against Jordan Wallace, but won the 16th and 17th to take the match down the last all square. Wallace went through the back of the green and could only leave his chip some six feet from the hole – only to see Day send his 30 foot birdie putt across the tiered green and into the hole to send Robson delirious with relief.  

Robson, who helped last year’s captain Neil Dawson’s team 12 months ago with his detailed knowledge of the Rowlands Castle course where he is now the assistant secretary, was in the county first team that suffered their seventh disappointment in 15 years at the national finals.

He picked team-mates Ryan Harmer (Shanklin & Sandown) and teenager George Saunders (Meon Valley G&CC) to boost his side which was missing the likes of US college students Jamie Mist (Hayling), Billy McKenzie (Rowlands Castle) and Shanklin’s Jordan Sundborg, the other member of the Sandwell team, who was unavailable after starting his golf scholarship at Stirling University, in Scotland.

With British Amateur Champion Scott Gregory forced to pull out after his invite to play in the British Masters at The Grove, this week, Robson called up Parsons - who played in the same Hampshire junior teams as the England No. 1 - but has only just got back into playing scratch events seriously in the last year.

Having lost his foursomes match with Day 2&1, Parsons could not get to grips with Essex’s Will Percival. He lost 5 and 3 to Percival and then Hampshire’s other debutant Tom Vaughan (Bishopswood) was beaten by two by Callum Pipe.

In brilliant autumn sunshine, Essex moved in front for the first time as Jersey-based Jason Stokes beaten 7&5 in match six by George Leversuch to make it 41/2-31/2

Harmer – one of five players who appeared in last year’s Colts final – was already home and hosed with a 4&3 win in the top match over Dominic Piccolo and that point was even more crucial when Day turned his match on its head to tie the final at 41/2-41/2

North Hants’ Billy Watson lost on the 17th green to Brandon Meads putting Essex back in front but Saunders and Hampshire Boys captain Josh Oddy, from Ryde GC, saw the light blues safely home winning their matches against Lukas Warren and Josh Cardy, respectively – both by 3&2 margins.