WHEN Justin Rose played in his first English Boys Final he was only just 16… playing against some of the best juniors in the land… but he was not even the youngest Hampshire player in the seven-strong squad who travelled to Devizes’ North Wilts GC.

Wellow’s David Porter was just 13 – and would go on to win the Carris Trophy and earn the title English Boys Amateur Strokeplay Champion at the age of 16 – a trophy Rose won in 1995 just before his 15th birthday.

They had followed in the line of Hampshire-raised England junior internationals – from Steve Richardson, in the mid-1980s, who would go on to appear in the 1991 Ryder Cup, to Kevin Weeks who played for England for several years after winning the English Amateur, and British Youths Champion Mike Smith – who was tipped for the top before tragically dying in a car accident before he had even reached 20.

Yet when Rose and Porter teamed up as Hampshire’s No. 1 pairing in the foursomes at the 1996 English Boys Finals, the South East Champions would make the short journey home having lost to eventual champions Cornwall, having beaten the mighty Yorkshire on the first day.

Porter was the elder statesman, who captained the 2001 team that would again come up short, and it would be another 11 years before Hampshire won the South East Boys Qualifier again.

The silverware eluded their grasp under John Moore’s leadership in 2012, and again in 2014 and 2015 – when Hampshire had the likes of future Walker Cup players Scott Gregory (Corhampton), Jack Singh-Brar (Brokenhurst Manor) and Rowlands Castle’s future Spanish Amateur Champion Billy McKenzie in their ranks.

Porter is now on the other side of the fence as Hampshire’s U16 manager, having led his young charges to a first South East League Final in seven years.

So what does he remember about that memorable partnership with Rose, who would go on to be European and World No. 1, as well as claiming the US Open and Olympic Gold between 2013 and 2016?

David, who works now as a head of projects for facilities services company Corrigenda, at Whiteley, is in the box seat when it comes to comparing the state of junior golf 30 years ago, and the pressures of delivering today, guiding his own son Farren, who two years ago claimed the same Hampshire U14s title his father won back in 1996.

Porter Senior recalled: “The biggest improvement we have is having a full age range of junior teams, having caught up with a couple of counties that stole a bit of a march on us in the past.

“The fact we start now at Under 12s, and progress through U14s, U16s and up to U18s means the strength in depth by the time you get to the Boys first-team is massively better.

“The boys can now develop properly – we have fantastic coaches, and all the boys have the benefits of working with strength and conditioning experts, sports psychologists – they get stats and performance analysis, and advice on nutrition – and they also get a bit of media exposure, which helps them deal with difficult questions and the pressure and expectation to perform.

“They can work at the pace they need to develop at, if they need to take a step back for a while or whatever, and then come back better, stronger and more resilient.

“That is the biggest difference – you have seen it this year with Hampshire after a period of five-six years where better plans have been put in place by Dave Matthews and the team of managers and coaches.

“The U14s came close to winning their division, and the U16s and U18s haven’t qualified for their finals in the same season since at least 2019 I think? And the boys won every match they played in the South Division – six matches each.

“The one thing that has not changed since my day is that when you are playing in match for Hampshire, as soon as you win – or lose – your point, you dump your golf bag and get back out on the course to help your team-mates bring home their point.

“That’s all you can do when you wear the Hampshire blue – try and win your point, and if you can’t do that, battle as hard as you can for a half, or make it as hard for your opponent to win theirs.

“Being out on the golf course can be a very lonely place – and you can’t win every time you play. Some days you will have your game, and others you won’t. You don’t go out resigned to losing or not wanting to win, but everyone has good and bad days.

“The more help and support you can get from your supporters, and your team-mates, as well as the coaches and managers, the better.”

Porter enjoyed plenty of success both as an individual and playing for England and Great Britain and Ireland in the Boys Home Internationals, the European Boys Team Championships, and in an era when England not only competed at the World Boys Team event, but also had a chance to win it.

He will be sat on his phone at work this week checking the scores at the finals and praying the golfing gods smile on Hampshire this team to finally get the English Boys County Championship trophy down to the South Coast for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Hampshire kick off their finals by facing Midlands champions Nottingham on Tuesday. Manager Richard Beeston has named his foursomes pairing’s – sending out Corhampton’s SEBO winner Max Blake with North Hants’ England U16 cap Albie Beeston in the top match.

Royal Winchester’s Michael Whittaker, who played in the South East Boys Qualifier, is paired with Douglas Johns Trophy winner Tiago Fernandes, from Wellow, in the second match out, while Stoneham’s Alfie Batten and team captain Fred Gill (Basingstoke), who is the South East Junior Champion, will feature in the anchor match.

•You can follow the live scoring here.