DELHI Cup winner James Knight sent out a stark reminder that there is another mid-amateur capable of stepping into the Hampshire first-team, after county captain Toby Burden lost two of his rising college graduates to the pro ranks.
Having been recalled to the Hampshire first-team squad over the winter months, the former England international, who won three nationally ranked titles in the mid 1990s, claimed his first county-ranked event in 22 years by winning the Delhi Cup by four shots from in-form Liphook ace George Saunders, the recent Hampshire Salver winner.
Knight started on the 11th in his first round at Hockley and after passing up the chance to make a birdie four, rolled in three birdie putts in a row to make a fast start, including a 20-footer for a two at the 12th.
His first mistake came on the next par-three at the 16th, taking one club too many on a hole that was down wind and downhill, and failed to get up-and-down having missed the green.
But the 51-year-old bounced back with a four at the par-five last, having seen his drive sail through the air and run on the best part of 475 yards. His chip from 40 yards landed 20 feet from the hole to leave a comfortable two-putt.
Another shot was picked up at the first, holing an eight-footer to get to four-under at the turn, only to give one back as he missed from the same distance at the second, after his hybrid approach came close to rolling off the back of the green.
Sandford Springs GC’s James Knight became the first Hampshire player to win the Berkshire Trophy in 1994. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES
Knight, who was one of England’s leading lights as an amateur 30 years ago, making his debut in the same England team as Luke Donald against France, at Sunningdale, in 1996, bounced back immediately, almost driving the green before getting up and down for birdie number six.
But the plus-three handicapper could only watch in horror as a chip from the back fringe got to six feet from the hole – only to roll on suddenly another 40 feet, with a two-putt costing him a third bogey.
James steadied the ship with back-to-back pars before making a three at the seventh, sinking a 20-footer after a wedge from 100 yards on the long par-four.
Knight, who had a two-shot lead over former England Mid-Amateur Champion Stuart Archibald, admitted he did not allow himself to get too carried away with any expectations of winning.
“I knew that with the conditions as they were, the wind was blowing strongly making some holes much tougher, as well as a few that were easier down wind, that I could not take anything for granted – but I had a good chance,” said the past winner of the Hampshire and Selborne Salvers.
The wind had moved by the start of the second round, and Knight let his lunch settle with a nice birdie start, hitting wedge to four feet at the first, and got to six-under holing from close range after another good wedge in.
The fourth proved problematic again, as he missed from eight feet to take five, before reeling off five pars in a row. Meanwhile former England U16 international George Saunders – enjoying a renaissance of his own this season – was making a move, getting to the turn in two-under.
But the fireworks were saved for the back nine, as Test Valley’s former Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Champion Archibald, who won three times on the EuroPro Tour before regaining his amateur status five years ago, recovered from one-over after nine to pick up three shots between the 11th and 15th.
And Saunders, the 2018 West of England Amateur Champion made three birdies in four holes from the first of three par-fives on the back nine, before firing a spectacular eagle on the last to add a 64 to his first round 73.
But that disappointing start would prove the difference, as Knight swopped a bogey and birdie on the 10th and 11th, and then got to six-under with a two-putt birdie on the 14th.
When Archibald holed a 15-footer on the 15th, Knight was unsure where he stood on the leaderboard. But any fears of being caught, or taken to a play-off were ended when the leader’s drive ended up 10 yards short of the green before Knight rolled in his putt for eagle from eight feet, after using a tip from his Hampshire squad sessions on taking his wrists out of his chipping action.
•FULL RESULTS FROM 2025 DELHI CUP
Sandford Springs’ James Knight (right) receives the Delhi Cup from Hockley GC captain Andy Dunne, after shooting two 67s to win the first Hampshire Order of Merit event of 2025. Picture HOCKLEY GOLF CLUB
Darren Walkley won the Delhi Cup back-to-back in 2014 and 2015, going on to win the first two Hampshire Orders of Merit, picking up his first county championship in that second season for good measure.
And three years ago, Stoneham’s James Freeman, who recently turned pro, claimed the win at Hockley, before going on to win the Sloane-Stanley Challenge Cup in his home course just over a month later.
Freeman, who played in the two 36-hole opens at Blackmoor last month, having been away travelling for three months, has now turned pro, along with fellow Hampshire first-teamer Jo Hacker, from Jersey’s La Moye.
Both players featured in Hampshire’s winning team as the county retained the South East League crown in October, beating newly-crowned English County Champions Essex to keep the Daily Telegraph Salver at the county’s HQ at Hockley Golf Club for another year.
Ryan Henley, another member of that team that lost in last year’s Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Championship final, holds the record with five straight Delhi victories in a row from 2009.