County 7's Final Report

Report By Andrew Griffin

LIPHOOK’S quest for a first victory in the Hampshire Sevens will have to enter the competition’s 60th anniversary next year after the trophy was snatched from their hands by a 14-year-old “assassin” from the Channel Islands.

Eleven-handicapper Aiden Wilson has been the star of Royal Jersey’s run to the final, winning four of his five matches.

And the Channel Island kid slammed the door shut in the face of Liphook’s Trevor Finlay – who had shown his own mettle by coming back from three-down with four to play – winning three holes in a row to leave the match all-square going down 18 at Rowlands Castle.

Wilson, who isn’t even tall for his age, could not reach the green in two, with the gusting 20mph hurting the uphill approach in front of the clubhouse as the second of the seven matches reached its conclusion.

But with a shot in hand, the teenager played his third from short of the green to the back left, resting pin high, and then nervelessly sank his 10-footer for a nett birdie to kill the tie – and send the watching Royal Jersey players and supporters into an ecstatic celebration.

Wilson, who was getting six shots from Finlay, was lifted into the air by one of his team-mates, while the rest rushed to congratulate him, with LIphook left crestfallen.

Just half-an-hour earlier, the live scoring app was telling everyone that the East Hampshire team were heading to win the Inter-Club Knockout for the first time since the Sevens creation in 1966.

It seemed that the late Hampshire Golf secretary and president Keith Maplesden, who was a Liphook member for more than 30 years until his sudden death last summer, was guiding the putts into the hole from his customary seat in the heavenly 19th.

John Groombridge held a narrow lead in the top match, but he too was outdone on the last as his 30-foot putt down the sloping green swung away to the right, leaving Philip Grehan a simple five-footer for his par and a one-hole win.

Lower down the order, Hamish Rushin had put the first point on the board for Liphook, winning 8&7 against Royal Jersey’s Paul Le Rougetel in the fourth game out.

But Jersey’s Jason Byrne and Chris Huelin gave the Channel Island champions a 2-1 lead by beating Liphook’s Richard Lushington and Chris Penn by 4&3 and 7&5 respectively.

With Jersey’s Grehan and Wilson then delivering the hammer blow in a matter of minutes, the last two matches played on to their conclusion.

It meant Royal Jersey had claimed the Hampshire Sevens for a fourth time in the competition’s 59-year history – and their first since 2013 when they beat Hockley in the pouring rain at Weybrook Park.

Only Aldershot’s Army GC – the first-ever winners in 1966 – with five wins in total, and Rowlands Castle, who have a record six victories, have been more successful in Hampshire Golf’s Inter-Club Knockout.

Captain Dan Burchell could not believe how his team had turned the final around in the space of 20 minutes with the trophy looking like it was heading up the A3 to Liphook for much of the afternoon.

He said: “I am on cloud nine. Aiden winning his fifth match out of six this season in that fashion on the last green, making a putt to win his point and seal the Sevens title like that. You couldn’t make it up.

“For someone who is still only 14, he showed brilliant fight against a guy off five. He was getting five shots but he handled the occasion very well, none more than on the 18th green.“

And he paid tribute to the older heads in the team who all delivered keys points at some stage on the road to Rowlands.

Dan added: “These are players that might not play together very often, especially with a large age gap. But they really came together and made an effort in the build-up, to play more as a group and they deserve a lot of credit for that.

"You could see that team spirit shine through on finals day and it played a key part of our overall success.

"I must add that it was not just the team selected for finals day. There were plenty of other players who were part of winning sides in the prior rounds and that's what is so special.

"This is the most prestigious competition to win in Hampshire club golf and the fact we are mentioned among the most successful sides in the history of the event is something we are very proud of.

Looking back at it all, we had to win seven matches in succession and six of those fixtures were away," said Burchell.

"That's no mean feat and needed a full squad effort. We had a really good balance across the team.

"Given the fact we are offshore, we don't play these courses as much as other clubs, so going over to an unfamiliar environment and winning is far from easy."

Sevens captain James Chapman had put himself out last in the anchor role and was never threatened by Royal Jersey’s captain-elect Matthew Hague, having been three-up after six, and going four-up on the 14th when the decisive putt was dropping a few hundred yards away.

James, who sat out the morning semi-final, said: “I heard the roar when those two putts went in, but at that point, I had no idea if that was us holing an important putt or them.

“I got to the turn when I was three-up and was just focusing on my game. I quite like the pressure of having something resting on my game in the Sevens, and play better normally.

“And if things are going well, there’s no stress if we already have four points. Steven Schorar, who played in the morning semi-final win, was nominated to give advice to our players.

“He came over and said things were going well, but no more detail, so knowing I was three-up, I felt quite relaxed.

“Obviously, it turned out that the top matches swung their way, and in the end we came up just a bit short.

“I am really proud of the team,” added Chapman, who took over the captaincy from Groombridge 10 years ago after Liphook lost in the semi-finals to rivals Old Thorns.

“I played when we reached the 2004 finals. I was 16, so I have played a lot of Sevens golf. The team did brilliantly to reach the final – the home advantage in our four matches helped.

“But getting to the last four is an achievement in itself. The handicaps mean you can’t pick our club’s strongest players – like Darren Walkley and Conor Richards, who have played for Hampshire. They could end up giving a dozen shots or more.

“We have had a settled side with a good spread of handicaps from five to 15, and everyone has played their part, said James, who brought in Chris Penn, off eight, and 14-handicapper Mellstrom into the team for the final, as David Story (9) and Abraham sat out.

“I would like to do it again – maybe a 10th time as captain will finally see us triumph,” said the captain, who could still manage a smile despite the pain of defeat.

Indeed, Old Thorns reached the semis in 2013 and came back to win it two years in a row – only two clubs had defended the County Sevens before.

To view all of the match results from the Finals Day click HERE

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