Team pictured with the Club Captain of Ham Manor, L-R Henry Dutton, Michael Whittaker,
Fred Gill, Albie Beeston, Max Blake, Alfie Batten & Tiago Fernandes
We are Absolutely delighted to confirm that on 2nd July team Hampshire won the south east England Golf Junior 6 man qualifier at Ham Manor GC, Sussex.
An unbelievable performance from start to finish saw the lads build a 7 shot lead at lunch time and close out in what ended up being, but definitely didn’t feel at times, a comfortable 5 shot winning margin. We couldn’t be prouder.
You can view the leaderboard- in all its glory by clickingHERE
Hampshire boys now progress to the national finals being played from 25-27 August at Goswick GC.
Congratulations to the team of players lead by Manager- Rich Beeston
Alfie Batten, Stoneham GC
Albie Beeston, Basingstoke GC
Max Blake, Corhampton GC
Henry Dutton, Basingstoke GC
Fred Gill, Basingstoke GC
Mike Whittaker, Royal Winchester GC
Tiago Fernandes, Stoneham GC
Coaches-
Kevin Flynn
Kev Saunders
Of course, this wouldn't happen without our amazing parents and families of our players- thank you for the continued unwavering support and expertise!
Full report by Andrew Griffin-
Henry is Ham Manor hero but manager praises Matthews for transforming U18s.
HAMPSHIRE Boys reached the English County Finals for the first time in 11 years with an imperious finish by last-man standing Henry Dutton.
The Basingstoke GC member fired a wedge 147 yards – from a bad lie in the fairway trap – right at the pin, guarded by water behind the 18th to leave a smelly downhiller from 18 feet, which he cosied up to the hole to leave a putt inside three feet for the winning par, as he added a 72 to his opening 75.
A delighted Henry said: “I sensed things were getting tight when I saw Kev Flynn fist pumping after I lagged a 30-footer on the 17th.
“We talked about making sure I covered the front greenside bunker on the last – it was a terrible lie so we also considered laying up in the fairway.
“But then I thought I didn’t come here to lay up so I went for the pin. It looked like it might be a little long, but it was a beauty and landed just where I was aiming.“
Under the late Blackmoor member John Moore, a Hampshire U18 squad containing the likes of future Walker Cup players Scott Gregory (Corhampton), Harry Ellis (Meon Valley G&CC) and Jack Singh-Brar – plus future Spanish Amateur Champion Billy McKenzie, from Rowlands Castle – ruled the roost as the South East Champions, three-years-out-of-four from 2012.
But since then under two different managers, Hampshire have struggled to find the consistency needed to beat the other 10 counties in the South East Group – minus the star quality England internationals Moore’s teams were blessed with.
So after their five-shot victory over Surrey at Sussex’s Ham Manor on Thursday, the county’s Under 18 manager Richard Beeston was quick to praise the man, who has done the most to put Hampshire’s junior development back on track with a trip to the English Boys Finals in late August.
Richard, whose son Albie was the leading scorer over two rounds in the 2026 qualifier, said: “I can’t let our win go without paying a huge tribute to the man who has made it all possible.
“Dave Matthews has been part of the junior set-up over the last eight seasons, including managing the U18s the last few years, but has now taken a step back.
“It’s the changes to the whole set-up that has driven up the standards that has made results like this happen.
“It”s been all about his drive and attention to detail. We are top of the South Division, having beaten Kent Surrey and Sussex twice in our first two triangular matches to give us a great chance to reach the South East U18 League Final, in September with just one game to go.
“And now we have finally won the South East Boys Qualifier for the sixth time in its history. I am so glad he was here to see it.
“And now we have finally won the South East Boys Qualifier after a long gap and for the sixth time in the competition’s history.
“We have seen this coming over the last couple of years with these players progressing from U14s to U16s and now winning the big one at U18 level.
“Thanks should also go to our coach Kev Flynn, who also leaves no stone unturned in terms of the preparation the boys undergo before an event like the boys’ six-man.
“In the last three years, Chris Harrison, who has overseen the expansion of our U12s set up has helped fill the tube you need to get the boys competing at the highest levels, along with the county secretary Richard Arnold, who gets everything behind the scenes spot on so the boys can just go out and play.”
And how they played… Hampshire held a seven-shot lead at lunch thanks to a blistering 66 from Corhampton’s Max Blake reeling off six birdies before a double bogey at the last took the edge of what would have been one of the competition’s lowest-ever rounds in the 21st Century.
His four-under par round was the best score of the morning and gave him a two-shot lead over
Stoneham’s Alfie Batten, who was three-under at the turn and birdied his final hole before lunch – the par-five ninth – to post a 68.
Hampshire were in the race to win both the David Neech Trophy for the best 36-hole score, and a place in the English Boys County Finals at Goswick, in Berwick-upon-Tweed over the August Bank Holiday, with England U16 cap Albie Beeston also in the hunt after an opening 70.
With the best five scores out of six counting, Hampshire held up against the heat of the challenge from Surrey, who have reached the finals four times since the competition began 40 years ago, back in 1986.
As the mercury began to climb well into the high 80s, Hampshire skipper Fred Gill and Michael Whittaker dropped six shots to par each as the course played very firm.
They were the worst scores however, and Beeston moved into second overall thanks to a 67, only bettered by Hertfordshire’s Nicholas Cullen 66, which gave him the silverware.
With Batten’s 69 pushing him into third overall on three-under, Blake carded a 72 to take fifth – one ahead of Essex’s highly-rated Oliver McEvoy, son of European Tour winner and Walker Cup star Richie.
Hampshire’s lead had been as slim as two shots with Dutton the last man out on the course, but Surrey and Hertfordshire had dropped key shots to leave the Basingstoke boy with a five-shot cushion coming down 18.
His team-mates cheered him to the rafters as his bunker shot swirled towards the pin before landing safely and safely on the green for a two-putt par.