HAMPSHIRE were forced to share the South Eastern Group Colts League Trophy with Essex after the final finished in a topsy-turvy draw. Shanklin & Sandown member Jordan Sundborg’s nervy bogey at the last ensured the sides ended level at Rowlands Castle GC.

The home side looked in the stronger position with just three of the eight afternoon singles left out on the course – even though Essex held a slender 5-4 lead.

Petersfield’s Ben Lobacz, who partnered Billy Watson (North Hants) to give Neil Dawson’s boys their first foursomes point before lunch, had stormed into a five-hole lead after just eight holes against Mitchell Sarling.

And even though the latter fought back with three birdies in a row on the back nine, he could not stop Lobacz from winning 3&1 after sticking his approach to the 17th into a culvert.

Brokenhurst Manor’s Ryan Harmer, who many believe has the talent to be a first-team regular and not just a colts star, hammered Tom Barker into submission after going six up through six before sealing a 7&6 win with another birdie on the 12th.

At that point, Hampshire were leading 4-2, but Jersey-based Jason Stokes, from La Moye, could never get his nose in front and lost on the last to Arthur Leonard. Hampshire Junior Champion Conor Richards, from Shanklin & Sandown, had the misfortune of playing Essex number one Taylor Carter in the second singles and despite getting the match back to all-square having been two down on the front nine, the 20-year-old finally closed out a 2&1 win.

Corhampton’s Sam Day fought back bravely from three down after 12 to produce four birdies in six holes, showing the kind of form that earned him selection for the county side’s trip to the English County Finals at Wychwood Park last month, where Hampshire finished third.

Colts captain Day, who works for Alton-based golf giant Srixon, found the front trap on the 18th when all-square against Scott Hudson and played a remarkable bunker shot to within two inches, only to see the Essex man hole his birdie three to clinch another vital point for the visitors.

Westridge’s England U16 international, Josh Oddy, had been cruising with a three-hole lead with seven holes to play, but Callum Hilton hit him with three birdies, including a clutch putt for a three at the 15th, to draw level.

Oddy’s makable birdie putt on the par-five 17th would not drop and he had to make a very good up-and-down on the long par-four last to salvage a half point that left Essex needing just one point from the final two games to avenge last year’s defeat at the hands of Hampshire.

Immediately behind them, Watson, the winner of this year’s Hampshire Open at Alresford and who was joint top points scorer for the county at the English County Finals, sank a glorious 12-footer for a birdie four on the 17th, having made a hash of his first putt from the front of the green to take a precious one-hole lead down the last.

But his drive on the 18th found trees down the left and even though he smashed a two-iron on to the front green, he could only three-putt to let Brandon Meads back into the game with another half a point.

That left Sundborg, who reached the last eight of the British Boys at Royal Birkdale in August, needing to maintain his slender one-hole lead over the last to guarantee the third tie involving Hampshire in the final over its 47-year history.

Sundborg had bounced back from back-to-back bogeys with a great up-and-down from right of the green on the 17th to stay one in front.

And when he smashed his drive a good 40 yards past his opponent, there seemed little danger of Dylan Mahmut clawing out a half that would give Essex the trophy.

Despite having three clubs less in his hands, Sundborg could only find the front edge of the large sloping green.

Hampshire manager Neil Dawson had his heart in his mouth as the teenager then knifed his wedge straight through the green, coming to rest just off the fringe and some 40 feet from the hole.

Mahmut could only put his third to within 20 feet of the pin, leaving Jordan to lag his chip to around three feet, which was graciously conceded. And when the Essex colt could not find the bottom of the cup for his par, they halved in bogey fives to leave the match tied at 6-6.

Hampshire had beaten Essex four times in the final before Sunday and have lost to the North Division champions in another three finals since the competition began back in 1969.

Earlier in the day, the two counties had been tied at 2-2 after the morning foursomes, with Day and Richards on the wrong end of a 5&4 hiding in the top match against Sarling and Carter. Luckily, Sundborg and Oddy clicked in the bottom game to beat Hilton and Meads 5&3.

Essex had spent an extra day practising at Rowlands and their extra preparation paid off as they won three points out of the four in the singles games.