Hampshire Golf Limited
Saunders Wins Hampshire Salver In Style!
FORMER England U16 international George Saunders sent out another reminder to the England selectors that he has rediscovered the game that marked him down as one of the country’s most talented teenagers by claiming the Hampshire Salver on Saturday.
The Liphook member, who has regained his place in the county first-team since returning from America 18 months ago, became just the seventh player to land the Hampshire Salver in the competition’s 47-year history, having finished third in the Selborne Salver at Blackmoor.
This year, the Hampshire Hog was cancelled following a major upgrade to the North Hants club course, leaving Selborne Salver organisers to stage a second 36-hole event – the Blackmoor Salver – to play all 72 holes for the Hampshire Salver on the tough East Hampshire heathland course.
Saunders, who was runner-up in the season’s curtain-raiser at Berkhamsted a week earlier, finished second in the new-look competition for good measure, as fine weather allowed the players to equal scoring records that had stood for more than a decade.
Liphook has many similarities with Blackmoor, which has greater elevation changes, so it was no surprise to see former county champion Darren Walkey pip his clubmate Saunders for second on countback in the Selborne Salver.
That event went to form as last year’s runner-up – Stratford-upon-Avon’s Jack Drury shot a brilliant rounds of 65 and 64 to match Ryder Cup star Andy Sullivan’s record winning total of nine-under par set in 2011, when the European Tour winner shattered the course record with an incredible 60.
Saunders was in a strong position after a superb 63 in the first round of Friday’s Blackmoor Salver, but was denied another piece of silverware by Hunstanton’s Ben Willis, of produced a remarkable round of 61, to win the first trophy by four shots, having also matched Sullivan’s record total of 129.
Starting from the first on Friday morning, the 2018 West of England Amateur Champion made a bogey at the second before two bounce-back birdies at the third and fourth before another dropped shot at the seventh, saw him level at the turn.
He picked up his third birdie at the 10th before a purple patch from the 12th, the short par-three – his two followed by an eagle at the 13th, and birdies at the 14th and 16th left him in the lead on six-under.
That gave the former Meon Valley G&CC junior a three-shot cushion over Surrey’s Josh Balson-Scales and former Blackmoor member Steve Mitchell, from Cowdray Park.
Playing in the last group off after lunch, Saunders got off to a rocky start dropping shots at the 10th – his first – and the 12th and 16th to get to the turn on three-under, unaware that Willis had made two birdies and eagled the eighth to move into a one-shot lead, playing on the other side of the course.
Saunders was certainly swept up in his own bubble and set about repairing the early damage by picking up a shot at the third hole. But a run of five consecutive pars meant the two at the short ninth – his final hole – was not enough for the player who has won Hampshire Junior titles at U12, U14 and U16 and been a member of the first-team squad over the last nine years, to land the new Blackmoor Salver trophy.
The veteran of the 2016 English County Finals finished four adrift as Willis, who played the Blackmoor course as part of the Norfolk Boys team when Hampshire hosted the South East Boys Qualifier back in 2018, thanks to four birdies in five holes from the 11th to shoot 61, compared to Saunders’ 70.
Saunders was left two shots ahead of North Hant’s former Hampshire Colt Sam De’ath, who took fourth on countback after rounds of 67 and 68 as Grantham’s Jack Diment added a 65 to his 70 in a display of low scoring by the leading pack.
The Hampshire ace was quickly out of the blocks the following morning, carding a 66, to trail Drury by one at lunch.
After starting from the 10th, Saunders, who had a frustrating spell at Tennessee University, a top NCAA Division One team after transferring from Texas in 2020 – before the COVID crisis shut down college golf in the States – he reached the turn level courtesy of three birdies and three bogeys.
His back nine was more profitable as he made birdies at the second, third, sixth and eighth, with just a bogey at his final hole, the short par-three, spoiling his lunch a little.
A steady start saw him pick up one birdie and make eight pars starting from the first – but again he was unaware of the progress Drury was making playing the course the other way around.
His lead was still two with nine-to-play, and the regular practice partner of past champion Sullivan, produced some fireworks of his own to pick up shots at the first, third and sixth.
That left the Warwickshire man on nine-under for the Selborne Salver, but still behind Saunders in the Hampshire Salver.
George had problems at the 11th, 15th and 16th that cost him three shots, but they sandwiched two bounce-back birdies at the 12th and 14th to leave him level in his second round.
A great iron shot to seal a two at the 17th – his fifth over 72 holes and 19th birdie in total – meant there was no stopping him from becoming the seventh Hampshire player to land the 72-hole prize, but the first in 20 years, since Ryan Henley, from Stoneham, back in 2005.
Walkley, who had complained about his poor ball-striking in the Blackmoor Salver – finishing 12 shots behind the winner – showed why he has claimed the Hampshire Order of Merit three times in the four seasons he has competed for the title, with a strong showing on Saturday.
He recovered from two bogeys and a double starting from the 10th to fire four birdies on his back nine, to card a level-par 69 to trail by four at lunch, before firing a 66 after lunch.
The runner-up in the 2023 Selborne Salver, showed his liking for the course with four birdies, including two in his first two holes, and making a three on the notorious 18th to edge his clubmate Saunders out of second.
It also left him clear in sixth place for the Hampshire Salver, one behind first-day winner Willis with North Hants’ De’ath sending out another reminder to watching county captain Toby Burden, having played in the successful Colts team under Neil Dawson that won the South East League in 2016.
De’ath was called up to play in the Past, Present, Future match at Hayling at the end of February, and will be hoping to earn a first-team debut, having spent a couple of years in the pro ranks, after completing his golf scholarship at Webber International in 2017.
Sandford Springs’ James Knight – winner of the Selborne Salver back in 1996 – was eighth after carding a four-over total, with his scores of 68 and 70 earning him sixth in the Selborne Salver.
Last year’s Hampshire Order of Merit winner Rob Wheeler, from North Hants, finished 13th in the Blackmoor Salver on three-over, but fell away to finish 48th in the Selborne.
Reigning Hampshire Junior Champion Albie Beeston produced a promising debut at Blackmoor, finishing 10th in the Selborne thanks to scores of 68 and 72, and 14th in the Hampshire Salver with a seven-over total.
Blackmoor’s Sam Parsons, who claimed the county championship on his home course last summer, could not reproduce that form.
The county first-team player had to settle for 30th in the Hampshire Salver, although he did produce a 12-shot swing thanks to a fine 66 in the second round of the Blackmoor Salver.
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
