Brokenhurst Golf Club and Hampshire’s Martin Young falls just short in bid for history in South East Qualifier at Brighton’s Dyke Golf Club
MARTIN Young came within a whisker of qualifying for what would have been a record-breaking ninth English County Finals as Hampshire chased down halfway leaders Berks, Bucks and Oxfordshire (BB&O).
In the South East Qualifier at Brighton’s Dyke Golf Club, the Brokenhurst Manor veteran tangled with trouble off the tee on the 16th before posting a second one-under 71.
Young, who played in eight finals between 2002 and 2017, has been determined to become arguably the oldest player to feature in the finals in his 50s, and he produced a stunning start to the second round.
Past captain Young led the charge after lunch from the front as they tried to make up the eight-shot advantage BB&O held over Hampshire in second.
This time the challenge was The Dyke, high up on the Sussex Downs overlooking the south coast, and Young picked off the par-fives on the front nine – with three in the first four holes, unusually.
The 54-year-old also carded a 71 in the morning thanks to a brilliant run of four birdies in five holes on a difficult back nine, which he completed two-over par.
His fast start in round two was matched by Liphook’s Darren Walkley, who birdied the first three par-fives while clubmate George Saunders, the former England U16, played them in one-under, having picked up three shots on the same stretch before lunch.
That meant Hampshire had made up 10 shots in just four holes with all six players out on the course.
On the other side of the course, Bramshaw’s Joe Buenfeld made a three at the 12th but dropped three shots in the next five holes before making an excellent three at the 18th to turn in one-over.
Having carded a one-under-par 71 before lunch, the same score as Young, Buenfeld tore into the scorable part of the course, picking up three birdies at the par-fives, which were all just over the 500-yard mark.
But he could not add to his score and dropped one of those shots at the par-three eighth to finish with a second 71.
The drama did not end there, though, as Saunders lost a ball off the tee on the 18th, only for Walkley to spectacularly hole his 55-yard wedge shot on the same hole minutes later for an eagle two to card a 67.
The hole-out came in front of all the players and officials from all three counties in contention. Still, Essex were smiling confidently, knowing their England international Zach Chegwidden was about to post a four-under-par 68 yards away on the ninth.
And that score crucially gave them a two-shot cushion against Hampshire and just their fourth win in the competition, which celebrated its 70th anniversary.