Castle's Robson crowned champ
Rowlands Castle's Tom Robson claimed the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Championship at the first attempt.
Robson won a pulsating final against Hayling's Toby Burden at the second extra hole at Liphook, yesterday.
The 20-year-old has spent a year putting on fast greens in his time as a freshman at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.
And it paid off as he holed out for victory.
Robson, who almost failed to qualify after a poor start on Friday, said afterwards: 'I knew if I tickled the putt it would go four feet but if I hammered it, it would go six or eight feet past.
'But I knew the line and from three feet I knew it was in and then I was thinking "oh my God, I am the Hampshire Amateur Champion."
'I have beaten three of the top players in the county and I have to thank my caddie Gary Beves for getting me back from that awful start on Friday.'
The former Hampshire under-18 champion found the Augusta-like greens at Liphook just to his liking as he holed a string of birdies to knock out another Hayling ace in the form of England under-16 international Colin Walsh, from Gosport, in the morning semi-final.
'The greens were superb – I am used to playing on fantastic, fast greens in the States, and I love it over there,' added Robson.
'But the Liphook greens were as true as anything I have played on.'
Although Robson lacks nothing in confidence after his year in the southern states after winning a golf scholarship with the Gamecocks, he made a nervous start to the final.
The first hole was halved, but Burden made a birdie at the second and hit his approach inside a foot at the short third which Robson conceded for a two before watching his birdie chance lip out from eight feet to go two down.
Robson bounced back immediately with a three at the fourth after hitting a massive drive some 370 yards and then sinking the putt from 10 feet.
He then eagled the fifth after a huge three-wood, left the lad from Lovedean with a four-iron which he stiffed to four feet to get back to all square.
It really was golf of the highest quality but after halving the sixth, Burden three-putted on the notorious Bowl – as a three was good enough for Robson to go in front for the first time in the match.
The Hayling amateur, who won his club championship seven days earlier, then made a birdie at the eighth to restore parity.
The Rowlands Castle player made his first real mistake of the round when driving too far on the short 10th and Burden won the hole with a four to go back to one up.
Robson responded with a solid par three at the 11th to win the hole back and the next two were halved as the contest remained tight.
The Hayling man regained the lead on the 14th and kept his nose in front until the 17th proved his undoing.
He came up short on the front of the green and tried to lag his 50-footer but it ran past some seven feet.
Robson was tearing his hair out as his 25-footer for a two horse-shoed out but he still got back to all square going up the last after Burden missed his par attempt.
Both players found the green in two on the 462-yard par five with Robson on the lower shelf.
And with both players making good attempts at eagle, they were quickly off down the first after securing their fours.
The downhill par three first was also halved before Robson took the victory on the second.
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Weather for Portsmouth
Thursday 24 May 2012
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