News

Hampshire won the SE Group Colts League at Hendon Golf Club yesterday (12/10) when they beat Essex by 8 matches to 4 in the Final.

Hampshire overturned a 2.5 to 1.5 lunchtime foursomes deficit with an emphatic afternoon performance, winning six of the eight singles matches. 

Click here for the results.

Hampshire team: Sam Day (Captain), Ben Wall, Tom Robson, Ryan Harmer, Charlie Manning, Billy Watson, Scott Gregory, Adam Reid and Neil Dawson (Manager).

PRESS RELEASE - Friday 10th October

Andrew Griffin previews Sunday's Colts Final at Hendon Golf Club....

For nearly a decade, Hampshire have been the poor relation of Colts golf in the south, despite their strength in the men's game and with many county players performing well on the national stage.

But on Sunday, under 21s manager Neil Dawson will try to avenge the men's team's defeat in the Daily Telegraph South East Group League Final at the hands of Essex last weekend with arguably the strongest side Hampshire, isle of Wight and the Channel Islands have ever fielded at Colts level.

For a start, he can call on Corhampton's Scott Gregory, who reached the final of the English Amateur Championship at Saunton, in early August.

And alongside the 20-year-old, who won the Stoneham Trophy two months ago, will be clubmate Adam Reid, who reached the final of the Hampshire, IoW & CI Amateur Championship, only losing to Brokenhurst's Martin Young, who also knocked out Gregory in the semi-finals.

Add in the current English Junior Champion of Champions in the shape of North Hants' Billy Watson and Solent Salver winner Ben Wall, from Hayling, and you have a very strong quartet for the four foursomes and eight singles matches in the final.

Given Hampshire's five golfers currently on golf scholarships in America - ex-England Amateur champion Harry Ellis, from Meon Valley G&CC, Rowlands Castle's Billy McKenzie, Hayling's Jamie Mist, a quarter-finalist at Saunton, Freshwater's Brandon Thompson, a regular winner in the States, and Brokenhurst's Jordan Ainley, the first player to win the Hampshire Men's and Junior titles in the same season, you might think Dawson would be scratching around to find four players good enough to bring the trophy home from Hendon GC.

But the manager can also call on the services of 2009 county champion Tom Robson, from Rowlands Castle, as one of his over age picks.

Robson played in his second English County Finals last year and his a strong record leading off Hampshire in both foursomes and singles.

With North Hants' left-hander Charlie Manning and Brokenhurst's talented Isle of Wight-based player Ryan Harmer finally getting to wear the light blue for Hampshire the group, captained for a second year by Corhampton's Sam Day, will not be frightened facing Essex, despite the upset last weekend.

Watson, who has made his full county and colts debut in the same season, missed two short putts over the final three holes in his match as Essex snatched the Telegraph Salver from captain Steve Williams' hands.

With Wall, Robson and Gregory having travelled to The Warren GC, near Chelmsford, the trio will be keener than anyone to gain revenge.

At least a couple of the winning Essex team are likely to be in their squad.

Watson was Hampshire's hero at the qualifying tournament in June, winning both his singles matches against Kent and Sussex, and having reached the last 16 of the British Boys in August, will be confident of righting last week's disappointing finale.

Manning, Wall and Day were also in the eight that won the qualifier at Hever Castle and the loss of Thompson and McKenzie from that team is more than made up for by the inclusion of Gregory and Robson.

Team: Sam Day (capt), Scott Gregory and Adam Reid (Corhampton), Ben Wall (Hayling), Billy Watson and Charlie Manning (North Hants), Tom Robson (Rowlands Castle), Ryan Harmer (Brokenhurst Manor)