Gary Wolstenholme finally got his name on the Selborne Salver and disproved the old sporting adage that no match is ever won in the first half.

The Walker Cup stalwart, from the Kilworth Springs club, Leicestershire, had made at least a dozen bids to capture Blackmoor's annual amateur scratch showpiece, but had never previously finished better than third.

On Saturday, he made certain by posting a stunning morning round of 64 to serve notice that the handsome silver trophy would elude him no longer. A par-equalling second round of 69 was the icing on the cake.

Darren Henley, of Stoneham, made a gallant attempt to overhaul him and added a 66 to his earlier 70. But the margin was simply too great.

That the silver jubilee salver competition took place at all was a minor miracle: 10 days before, Blackmoor had been waterlogged and several holes had to be shortened to take inundated areas out of play.

"The course was in amazing condition considering the winter we've had. The greens were superb and a testimony to some incredibly hard work by the staff," remarked Wolstenholme.

"The Salver is a tournament I've always wanted to win. I've played in it since the early 'eighties and the names of some great golfers are on the trophy. I feel very proud that I've now joined them."

Few of those previous champions could have lived with Wolstenholme before lunch. Out in 33 and home in 31, his card contained eight threes and a two, with three birdies in each half.

The deuce came at the 12th, courtesy of a 10-foot putt, with the other birdies at the 1st, 7th, 8th, 16th and 18th. The only blemish was a five at the tough 5th.

Astonishingly, this round was achieved with a brand-new driver and fairway woods that he had never swung before. He also packed a seven-wood, knowing that it would come into its own at Blackmoor.

Two adrift at lunch was the teenager, Frank Bibby (Wilmslow), while two behind him were the trio of Sam Osborne (Wentworth) – he had an ace at the 6th – Graham Clark (Doncaster) and the evergreen David Lane (Goring & Streatley), champion in 1983 and still, at the age of 61, playing off scratch.

Five players matched the exacting par of 69, among them Zane Scotland (Woodcote Park), the 16-year old who is already a full England international and a member of the Walker Cup squad.

Hampshire's David Porter (Stoneham) and Martin Young (Brokenhurst Manor) left themselves too much to do with scores of 73 and 71, while defending champion Jon Franks (Shirley Park) was never at the races with a round of 75.

Sixteen pars, one birdie and a single bogey was the tale of Wolstenholme's second round. But it was also a story of missed putts, with any number wriggling out of the hole. "I think they firmed up a bit and got a bit bumpy with all the traffic," he said.

Bibby's challenge faded as early as the 400yd fourth hole, where he hooked his tee shot out of bounds and then lost his provisional. An awful nine saw the youngster fade to a 75.

Henley got home in 32 shots, but paid the price for going for the flag at the short 17th. He pulled his ball into sand and failed to get up and down, and that was that.

In third place was Steven East, from the Moortown club, Leeds. His total of 138 (70, 68) would have won the Salver in 10 of its 26 years.

Fourth was Clark, with an afternoon 71 to go with his 68, with Zane Scotland just getting into the frame on countback from Richard Finch (Hull) on 140.

Porter, the former English Boys' champion, added a brave 70 to his disappointing morning round, while Young, runner-up in 2000, shot 74.

l Jon Lupton won the Hampshire Hog, played on Sunday at the North Hants club. The 22-year-old, who plays out of the Middlesbrough club, shot 69, 67 over the newly extended par-71 course to take the title by two strokes.

Fellow Yorkshireman Richard Finch (Hull) was joint second after rounds of 68, 70. Joining him on 138 were David Griffiths (West Herts) with 68,70 and Salver winner Gary Wolstenholme, the British amateur number 1, who shot a brace of 69s.

Wolstenholme took home the Hampshire Salver for best score over 72 holes at Blackmoor and North Hants.

With four rounds in the 60s for 271, no-one was left in any doubt why he has held down a handicap of +3 for most of the past decade.