George Saunders had a double dose of disappointment as he missed out on place in the last 64 of the English Amateur Championship by a shot for the second year in a row – and then was powerless to prevent Surrey spiking Hampshire’s hopes of a third South Division title in a row.

Hampshire were gunning for the chance to win the Daily Telegraph Salver for a third year in a row, only for Surrey to spoil the party with a 71/2-41/2 win at Hayling.

Saunders – who spent nearly five years playing college golf in the States – missed the first of Hampshire’s two back-to-back South East League final wins but was part of the team that helped beat newly-crowned English County Champions Essex last October.

The build-up to the Surrey showdown had been complicated by the fact three members of the Hampshire squad were playing in the early rounds of the English Amateur.

Corhampton’s Scott Gregory reached the final in 2014 and lost in the semi-finals in 2017 – the year he played in the Walker Cup alongside Meon Valley’s Harry Ellis, who became the youngest-ever English Amateur winner in 2012, aged just 16.

Both played against Surrey at Liphook in 2014 just hours after Gregory’s appearance in the final just hours earlier, as Hampshire marched into the final with a close win. But this year, needing to beat Surrey by as big a margin as possible, and hope Kent lost their last game against Surrey or won by a lesser scoreline, Hampshire’s visitors turned the tables on their hosts.

Surrey swept up all four points before lunch, with North Hants’ Rob Wheeler and Test Valley’s Stuart Archibald losing to Hindhead’s Dave Corben and Alex Wells two-down, having trailed by two after six.

Saunders went out with Joe Buenfeld, and they fell to a 4&2 defeat against Luke Stock and Dan Magee.

They went three-up after five, having made a birdie two at the short par-three first, and after Saunders and Buenfeld won three-in-a-row before the turn, Surrey picked up wins at four even holes in a row from the tenth to seal the game.

Hampshire captain Toby Burden was hoping his team could win at least six of the eight afternoon singles to have any hope of pipping Kent to the title.

Buenfeld was sent off first and found himself facing Stock again, who fired a six-under par score to win 2&1.

Although Saunders made it 5-1 by beating Freddie Surgerry 4&2 – thanks to birdies at two of the three par-fives – Hampshire needed to win five of the remaining six singles and halve the other to pull off an unlikely win.

Burden’s 2&1 defeat against Surrey skipper Max O’Hagan, despite a brave fightback from three-down at the turn, meant the best Hampshire could get was a 6-6 draw.

But when Hayling’s Rich Harris lost, Burden was left to lick his wounds after a 71/2-41/2 defeat.

Saunders fired an excellent 69 at Hoylake in the second round of the English Amateur, having appeared to have blown any chance of making the matchplay phase with a one-over par 73 at Wallasey.

His second round included five birdies, but dropped shots at the ninth and 12th meant Saunders was a shot shy on two-under.

By Andrew Griffin