FORMER Hampshire player Ben Wall, from Hayling GC, took the honours in the Blackmoor Open, shooting a fine second-round 66 to finish six shots clear of the field (writes Andrew Griffin).

With the host club’s Colin Roope needing a strong finish to boost his chances of winning the Hampshire Order of Merit, the big-hitting Wall turned the 36-hole event into a procession in his final event before joining the professional ranks.

Wall led by five at lunch, thanks to an opening 67, despite dropping two shots at his first two holes after starting at the 10th.

He then made birdie threes at the 14th and 16th, only to give one back at the penultimate hole with a bogey four.

But three birdies in a row from the seventh to go into lunch saw Roope as his nearest challenger after a 71 which included a double bogey five at the 15th.

Wall’s second round did not get off to a great start, despite a birdie at the second. He dropped three shots in four holes from the fourth, but bounced back with a birdie at the par-five eighth.

With the pack bunched up behind him, the winner of the 2014 Solent Salver got back to two under with a birdie three at the 10th.

And he left the field trailing in his wake with another hat-trick of successive birdies from the 13th before parring the tough closing stretch to finish on five-under.

He could even afford to miss a five-footer for a 29 on the back nine.

Roope added a 68, getting to the turn in four under thanks to an eagle three on the ninth. But a double bogey five at the 12th and another bogey four at the 15th ended any hopes of winning his home club’s open. He birdied the 16th, only to take five at the last.

Wall’s 66 was matched by another Blackmoor player, Sam Parsons, who grew up playing junior golf with British Amateur Champion Scott Gregory at Waterlooville GC.

Parsons moved up into third place after a five-over 74 before lunch, making four birdies, an eagle at the 9th and birdies on the 13th and 17th.

His own title hopes were ended by bogeys at the 16th and 18th.

Farnham’s Thomas Spreadborough was fifth after an impressive 10-shot turnaround in the second round.

The three-handicapper’s 68 left him on eight over and included four birdies, an eagle and five bogeys.