MARK Burgess turned home advantage into home rule when he won the 2009 Selborne Salver on Saturday, carding two immaculate rounds of 66 to win by two shots from Matt Nixon (Ashton-under-Lyne) and the highest-quality field yet assembled in the 33-year history of the tournament.
A Blackmoor member since his teens, 32-year-old accountant Burgess became the first player from the host club to win the event, with his aggregate score of 132 strokes only one more than the record posted a decade ago.
Like the 2001 champion, Gary Wolstenholme, Burgess is something of a late developer and only qualified to enter the Salver by right two years ago when he had got his handicap down to +1. He came third that year and has since cemented his place in the county side.
Even so, he was still giving away an awful lot to most of the field, three of whom were off a heady +4 and 50 of whom played off +2 or better. But his local knowledge helped bridge the gap and a new putter did the rest, notably at the long eighth, which he eagled twice, and the 17th after lunch, where he holed a slippery 30-footer to get one hand on the trophy.
He dropped just five shots all day, but picked up 11, twice birdieing the 7th and 13th holes. However, it was those eagles, courtesy of the three-iron to eight feet in the morning and a four-iron to 15 feet after lunch, which did most good and made the sizeable gallery traipsing round with him hope that something special might just be happening.
Co-leader at lunch with Wentworth's Steve Brown, Burgess played as if he was enjoying it, more than compensating for his few mistakes by the length of his drives – at 6ft 7ins, he has long levers – along with some laser-like irons and inspired putting.
He left his driver in the bag wherever he could, knowing that just being on the fairway at Blackmoor is not always enough. He came to the 16th four under for the day, but an immaculate pitch gave him another birdie and that two on the short 17th set him up for a grandstand finish.
His wedge from lush semi at the last fetched up 25 feet short and he gave the large patio crowd palpitations when his approach putt stopped five feet short. The applause when it went in could be heard right across the course.
"The support was fantastic. There were some pretty loud roars out there. It felt like Wentworth at times," said Burgess, who added he had felt no nerves, even in the home straight. "I was hitting it well and holing them with a new Taylor Made putter which I only picked up on Sunday, as my old one hadn't been working."
Nixon, third at lunch after a 67, knew on the 15th tee that he had to make two birdies in the last four holes to force a play-off, but he dropped a shot on the tough short 15th and missed an eight-footer at the next and his goose was cooked. However, he did finish in the grand manner, hitting a wedge to a foot at the 400-yard 18th for a second 67.
Brown, who struck it superbly all day, could do no better than 69 after the break to finish third on 135, a stroke clear of Sam Matton (Bowood) and Luke Goddard (Hendon), who had matching rounds of 70, 66, while one behind them was Matt Haines (Rochester), twice a winner already this season, who added a 68, which included a lost ball up the first, to his earlier 69.
Second best of the Hampshire players was Hayling's Mark Thistleton, the 2007 champion, who opened with 71 and then added a sparkling 67 for 138, the same score as Adam Wootton (Oxford City), with a brace of 69s and Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes), with 67, 71.
Stoneham's Ryan Henley, champion in 2005, was next on 139, thanks to a fine 67 after lunch.
Pre-tournament favourite, Sam Hutsby (Liphook), had a day to forget, following a level-par 69 with a humdrum 74 to finish back in the pack. He was uncharacteristically wayward off the tee, bogeying both the seventh and eighth and frittering away more shots over the homeward nine.
Corhampton's Neil Raymond recovered well for a 70 after struggling to 76 before lunch, finishing on the same 146 tally as Brokenhurst Manor's Martin Young (74, 72), while Toby Burden (Hayling), with 75, 74, and Mark Bell (Shanklin & Sandown), with 76, 75, never got it going all day.
Meanwhile, The Hampshire Hog, the second of the county spring double, was won by Matt Haines at North Hants, Fleet on Sunday. The Rochester player shot 65 and 67 for an eight-under-par 132, winning by three shots from Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale).
Mark Burgess followed up his Selborne Salver triumph of the day before with 70, 67, one better than Sam Hutsby who shot 68, 70.
The Hampshire Salver goes to the player with the best aggregate for the two tournaments and the world-ranking trophy went to Haines, but only on count-back from Burgess after the pair had tied on 269, nine under par.