IF Sam Parsons needed any further proof of how he has become a better golfer since the birth of his first son Milo, the results of the last fortnight have proven that last year’s win in the final of the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Championship was no flash in the pan.
In the professional ranks, they talk about the “nappy factor” – players who earn their first Tour win, or maybe the biggest win of their career so far, having gone through fatherhood in the previous year or so.
Some players have even produced outstanding performances to win in the immediate weeks before baby arrives.
For amateur golfers, their most successful playing period tends to be in their early 20s before settling down with a family is on the life list.
But as someone who has never been tempted to turn pro, 32-year-old Sam spoke to The News last month about how his outlook on the game has changed over the last 18 months, following Scottie Scheffler’s picture parade with the Claret Jug, featuring the World No. 1’s son Bennett at Royal Portrush.
That afternoon, Parsons was playing for Hampshire’s Challenge League side as they booked their place in the South East Final for a third year running – with Sam determined to finally end up on the winning side, after back-to-back defeats by Essex.
Having been messaged by plenty of people who read the story about his life with Sammy and Milo, Parsons went out the following weekend to win the Blackmoor Club Championship for a second year in a row.
Fast forward another seven days, and the former Southsea and Waterlooville junior claimed the Solent Salver for the best 72-hole score in the Mike Smith Memorial Trophy, at Brokenhurst Manor, followed by the Stoneham Trophy on Sunday – where Parsons claimed a trophy won by the likes of Tour winners Richard Bland, Matt Blackey and Sam Hutsby.
He claimed the Solent Salver by a shot beating Corhampton’s Jamie Markwick into second place.
Sam Parsons has now won two Blackmoor Club Championships thanks to the ‘Nappy Factor.’ Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES
A smiling Sam – well-known in county golfing circles as a big Pompey fan complete with a club crest tattoo on his leg – said during the presentation ceremony in the Southampton clubhouse: “I do really like playing at Stoneham.
“Other than Blackmoor, it is my favourite course in Hampshire. I always think I can score well around here. I just struggled a bit to get going in the first round, having played so nicely at Brokenhurst.
“It’s great to get a big win like the Solent Salver. Plenty of big names have won it in the past. And apparently I am the first Blackmoor player to win it since it began in 1994.
“Obviously back at Blackmoor, you want to get your name on the honours board for the Selborne Salver, and then the Hampshire Salver for the best aggregate at North Hants in the Hog.
“Only Mark Burgess has won the Selborne Salver and the club championship, so for the rest of us, being Blackmoor’s club champ is the pinnacle.
“Mark’s won the Wishart Trophy 10 times. I’d love to reach 10 club championships – that’s a dream I am aiming for.
“It was great to win the club championship back-to-back. Next week we have the Blackmoor Bowl – which is a big event in the Hampshire Order of Merit. I won that two years ago, before Milo came along.
“A few people commented about the article about me talking about Scottie Scheffler and my own situation now as a dad. It’s great to be able to win – few things beat it. But I don’t beat myself up if things don’t go as well as they could.
Sam Parsons shot rounds of 70 and 68 in the Mike Smith Memorial at Brokenhurst on the Saturday for his best performance at the New Forest course as he finished second behind Corhampton’s Jamie Markwick.
But Sam could not have made a worse start with bogeys on the ninth and 10th in his first round, but picked up two birdies at the par-five holes (16th and second), and back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh for level-par 70.
He trailed Markwick and county captain Toby Burden, from Hayling, by one at lunch, but produced a really strong back nine to stay in contention for the trophy donated in memory of Brokenhurst’s Mike Smith – one of Hampshire’s most talented-ever players, a former British Youths Champion, who was tragically killed in a car crash in 1990, while still a teenager.
Having played the front nine in level-par with two birdies and two bogeys, Parsons trailed the former South East Junior Champion by two shots, entering the back nine.
But a bogey-five at the 11th by Jamie, followed by three birdies in a row by Sam from the 14th briefly left him leading by two.
However, Parsons made a five at the penultimate hole – with arguably the toughest approach shot on the course – before parring the last to post a two-under total thanks to his second round 68.
He was tied with Markwick, who still had three holes to play, and birdies at the 15th and 16th, edged the Corhampton member back in front, only for the former Nova Southeastern Florida University player to drop a shot at the short par-four 18th.
At Stoneham, Parsons could not get anything going in the morning round, slipping down the leaderboard on his way to a 77, one better than Markwick.
After lunch, Parsons pulled out all the stops after making a double error on the third and fourth. Birdies at the sixth, 12th, 14th and 16th got him to three-over, but a six at the last saw him sign for a 71.
That earned him 10th place, but crucially was three better than Markwick’s total after he carded a 74, containing three birdies and five bogeys, to take the runners’-up spot in the Solent Salver.
•MIKE SMITH MEMORIAL TROPHY RESULTS
•STONEHAM TROPHY RESULTS
Blackmoor’s Mark Burgess is still the only homegrown winner of the Selborne Salver in the competition’s 46-history