Dave Edmunds knocking on the door

LEE-ON-THE-SOLENT’s Dave Edmunds has a two-shot lead going into the second round of the Hampshire Seniors Championship at Tylney Park.

A regular member of Hampshire’s Seniors team since helping his club to the final of the County Sevens four years ago, Edmunds has five former champions within seven shots going into Wednesday’s second round.

Edmunds made two birdies and an eagle in his 74, having gone off first playing with four-time Hampshire Seniors Champion Alan Mew, from Stoneham.

Halfway leader Edmunds started with a bogey six, and dropped shots at four and five before picking up his first birdie of the day at the sixth.

Another shot went at the 10^th, but a birdie four at the 11^th got him to two-over, and it could have been even better if that eagle three at the 14^th had not been sandwiched by dropped shots at the 13^th and 15^th.

Edmunds will take heart from that level-par score on the back nine when under pressure to life his first Hampshire Seniors title on Wednesday morning.

Mew, who has captained the England Seniors team for the past three years, has not won his county championship in the over 55s since 2020 – when the Stoneham member shared the trophy with clubmate Martin Milne at Hartley Wintney.

But from seven shots back it will take some round from the former European Tour and Seniors Tour pro to claim a fifth title.

A bigger danger to Edmunds is defending champion Oscar O’Herliy. But the Basingstoke member is five shots adrift after a 79 at the Hook club, in North Hampshire.

Stoneham’s James Pinchon is two adrift, having made a double bogey at the par-four sixth, and another at the par-five 11^th. which left him three-over with seven to play.

Another shot went at the 13^th, but Pinchon bounced back with a birdie four at the 14^th, only to give the shot back at the penultimate hole.

Pinchon won the County Foursomes with Paul Defty in 1997 on their home track at Stoneham and will be hoping to land more silverware on Wednesday.

Sandford Springs’ Gerry Penfold, who won the Seniors’ title at Corhampton in 2019, matched O’Herlihy’s 79, while Royal Jersey’s Trevor Gray, the winner at Barton-on-Sea two years ago and at Weybrook Park seven years ago, carded an 80.

It is the first time that Tylney Park has hosted the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Seniors’ Championship since it was founded 46 years ago.

The title has been won by the likes of former Brabazon Trophy winner Stan Fox (1982) and former England Seniors captain Howard Moxon (1996).

Brokenhurst Manor’s former county captain and president John Nettell, won the trophy four times between 1979 and 1986, before Stoneham’s David Harrison, who holds a record seven men’s county championships in the 1960s and ’70s, won the Seniors back to back in 1993 and 1994.

Brokenhurst’s Norman Barnes won the trophy four times between 1998 and 2005, later matched by Mew’s four wins in 2012, 2014, 2015 and again three years ago. Hockley’s P Anthony claimed the title three times in 1991, 1992 and 2000.

Four other players have won the trophy twice in their Seniors career – The Brley’s W Medd, Hayling’s J Thornton, Waterlooville’s Clive Shinn and Brokenhurst Manor’s David Mewes.

The title has been successfully defended nine times since 1978. Five clubs have hosted the championship on four occasions – Brokenhurst Manor, Lee-on-the-Solent, Hayling, Corhampton, Blackmoor and Aldershot’s Army Golf Club.

As well as the gross and handicap prizes, there are four age categories prizes – for the over 60s, over 65s, and over 70s.

FOLLOW LIVE SCORING IN THE SECOND ROUND HERE.