Hayling Island golf ace Toby Burden excited about new chapter in his superb career

And while his body may need more rest and care after the niggling injuries that disrupted his professional career in his 20s, he is now looking forward to the next stage of his career, having accepted the position of Hampshire vice-captain.

Burden, who works as an engineering recruitment consultant, will work alongside Stoneham’s Lawrence Cherry, who has become the youngest Hampshire captain in post-war history at the age of just 26.

The 35-year-old will be Cherry’s leader out on the course and was more than happy to accept the position – although he admits the thought of becoming Hampshire captain is in his short-to-medium term plans.

Burden said: ‘Obviously after we learned at the end of last season that Neil Dawson was standing down to focus on being the men’s captain at North Hants GC, our thoughts turned to who would succeed him.

‘I spoke with our county secretary Richard Arnold, but I said I did not want to be a playing captain – that was a non-starter in my mind.

‘Lawrence and I have had a good chat, and I am excited to be able to support him as our youngest captain since the war, and possibly ever.’

Burden claimed his first Sloane-Stanley Challenge Cup at the 2019 county championship – adding the English Champion of Champions three months later.

Two years ago, he became the first player to reach three Hampshire, IoW & CI Amateur Championship finals in a row since European Tour winner Richard Bland in the mid-1990s.

Last summer, he won his first three Mid-Amateurs events (over 35s) – including Sunningdale’s prestigious Gerald Micklem Trophy and the Hampshire Mid-Am crown, beating recently-crowned English Mid-Amateur Champion Stuart Archibald to the latter.

Hampshire’s season gets under way with friendlies against the Channel Islands and the Hampshire PGA this month.

It is now more than 10 years since a Hampshire team last lifted the Daily Telegraph Shield after winning the South East League Final.

Burden turned pro in 2010 – two years before Richard Elms won the crown with a team that contained that year’s youngest-ever English Amateur Champion, Harry Ellis.

‘My goal for the team is I really want us to win the league,’ Burden said. ‘The gold medal for winning England Golf’s South East Group Final is something I want again.

‘We want players coming through – whether it is in the eight-man league team or the six-man qualifier – who want to play well for Hampshire.

‘They have to want that gold medal, and do everything they can to prepare correctly to give themselves the best chance to perform. That’s all Lawrence and I can ask.’

*Burden was chosen as Havant Borough Sports Association’s Sports Personality of the Year for the second time in a row in February.

Over the last 20 years, he has also scooped eight individual Hampshire titles, going back to the Green Cup for the best score by an U18 at the 2004 county championship.

His second HBSA double saw him overtake Darren Walkley – another Hayling player back in the amateur ranks after a spell on the mini-pro tours – Corhampton’s Amateur Champion Scott Gregory, and Rowlands Castle’s Billy McKenzie, who did the double in 2015, 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Burden said: ‘I still have a few years left for sure, although I have to take a lot more care with my body.

‘But funnily enough, I’m swinging faster than I ever have and my swing path is still solid – it’s where my coach Kev Flynn wants it.

‘We’ll see how many more years I can keep that going – especially with the kids hitting it at 120mph now, they’re crazy numbers.’