Hampshire’s victory over Sussex at Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club

HAMPSHIRE’S new captain Toby Burden was full of praise for Brokenhurst Manor after he claimed the winning point as his team romped to a 10-2 victory over Sussex.

Burden, who stepped up from his vice-captain’s role last month, beat Sussex veteran Steve Watts 2&1 to claim the crucial seventh point.

Burden was full of praise for the host club having seen his team win their second match in a row in the South Division, setting up a showdown with Surrey next month for the chance to defend the Daily Telegraph Salver they won in October, by reaching the South East League Final for a second year in a row.

Burden thanked everyone who made the win possible, not just his players, and said: “Brokenhurst are so good to the county. They allow us to use the facility and they always make sure it’s at its best for us.

“We all know the course so well, and it felt like a true home game or club game. Brok really pulled all the stops out, and the green staff allowed us to pick the pins – a true home advantage for which we are very thankful.”

Toby, whose foursomes pairings had won all but one of the morning matches, led 3-1 at lunch, added: “I was three-up after holes, but Steve made a couple of birdies to bring it back to all-square.

“We then halved a lot of holes, and it was a little scrappy,” said Toby, who watched Watts duff a chip from over the back of the short 12th, only to hole a four-footer for a bogey, while Burden’s birdie putt from a similar distance grazed the hole.

Toby said: “Our coach, Kev Flynn, had a word with me with a few holes to play, and I managed to get up-and-down on the 16th for birdie and made a solid par on 17 to win the match 2&1.”

Bramshaw’s Joe Buenfeld – who picked up maximum points in the victory away against Kent at the end of May – made it four wins out of four with a 2&1 victory over Joe Sykes to make it 5-1.

But he did not have it all his own way – he was three-up after seven, but Sykes won three in a row from the eighth.

Buenfeld held his nerve and responded with birdies at the 12th, 15th and 16th before a four at the tricky 17th sealed the deal for a 2&1 win.

Surprisingly for Brokenhurst Manor’s former county captain Martin Young, Sussex’s only point in the afternoon session came when Tim Hollis beat the six-time Mike Smith Memorial Trophy winner 3&2.

Birdies were impossible to come by for either player, and when Young missed the 12th on the right – and could only watch his 20-footer for par break late and narrowly miss the hole – the 2006 English Mid-Amateur Champion (Over 35s) was two-down with six to play and heading for a rare defeat.

In their last four matches at Brokenhurst Manor, Hampshire have won by at least six points – their best haul was in 2019 when they beat Dorset 101/2-11/2.