Storm Dennis denies Scott Gregory a Hampshire return

The postponement meant Waterlooville’s European Challenge Tour player Scott Gregory, a member at Corhampton, was denied the chance to play one more time for the county as a special guest.

Hampshire Golf secretary David Wheeler said: ‘The county men’s first team play a handful of warm-up matches against the likes of the Hampshire PGA, the Channel Islands.

‘The county only play two clubs in annual fixtures, so we were looking forward to marking the 50th year of visiting Arlesford.

‘We were looking forward to rescheduling the match later in the season when we can again field a team representing the county from over the years.’

Hampshire’s new county captain Neil Dawson said: ‘It was a shame about the weather, and it would have been great for the lads to play alongside Scott again after all he has achieved – playing in the Masters, The Open and US Open as our Amateur Champion, and now earning his living on Tour.

‘Even though only half of my squad were due to play – with the county putting out a team to reflect the history of the event – it would have been great to get them playing fourballs without any great pressure this early in the season.’

After the county’s annual Past, Present and Future match at Hayling this weekend, Dawson, who took over from Blackmoor’s Colin Roope at the end of last year, has several squad sessions and roll-ups planned over the next eight weeks.

Dawson, who led Hampshire Colts to back-to-back South East League titles in 2015 and 2016, said: ‘We will be working with our short-game coach Ben Clayton, and Simon Andrews, from Portsmouth Golf Centre, who has helped a number of our best players in recent years.

‘By the time we play the Hampshire PGA and the Channel Islands, I will be looking to confirm the eight players I will be looking to select for our opening league against Dorset at Broadstone in May.’

Dawson is looking to regain the Daily Telegraph Salver Hampshire last held back in 2012.

His predecessor got Hampshire to the South East League Final in 2018, but they were beaten by Essex, who also dashed their hopes in 2014.

Dawson’s men will also be bidding to win July’s South East Qualifier for the first time since 2017 when Martin Young also led Hampshire to their first English County Championship in 21 years.

Norfolk are hosting the event for the second time in four years, and the last two times it was held at Sheringham – in 2008 and 2017 - Hampshire reached the English County Finals.

But this year the South East Golf Union’s 11-county eliminator is being played at Eaton GC, in Norwich.