STONEHAM’S James Pinchon claimed his first Hampshire Seniors title coming back from two shots behind with a round to play, to overhaul halfway leader Dave Edmunds, at Tylney Park, on Wednesday.

Pinchon shot a round of 79 – only bettered by clubmate Alan Mew, who stepped down as England Seniors captain earlier this year – as Edmunds, from Lee-on-the-Solent carded an 83 to fall two shots behind the new champion.

That was nine shots more than the first round effort by Edmunds, who has been a regular member of the Hampshire Seniors League team over the past four years.

He was bidding to become the first Lee player to claim the Hampshire Seniors crown since the competition was founded in 1978.

Last year, he was ninth eight shots behind Basingstoke’s Oscar O’Herlihy, who denied Richard Elmes a second title by a shot at Brokenhurst Manor.

But Pinchon – paired with Edmunds in the final group who had shot a 74 on Tuesday to lead by two – halved the two-shot first round deficit over the front nine, with the long course playing tough in blustery conditions.

The undulating greens were also catching out Hampshire’s best players aged over 55.

The challenger made three bogeys in four holes from the second, but crucially Pinchon made a birdie three at the third, while Edmunds dropped shots at the second, fifth and eighth, with two of those bogeys sandwiching a double.

Edmunds’ lead increased to two however, as Pinchon made a five at the 10^th. But the favourite for the title gave one straight back with a bogey at 11 – only for Pinchon to make six to drop two shots at the 12^th.

Mew – who was destined to finish third – had gone out in level-par, but was still some three shots behind Edmunds with nine to play. The double by PInchon on the 12^th increased the leader’s cushion to three, with six to play.

But scoring was proving even harder than on Tuesday, at the North Hampshire parkland course, near Hook, and both players surrendered a shot at 13.

Pinchon then produced the decisive burst completing his round with five straight pars, while Edmunds’ birdie at 14, which briefly extended his lead to four, was a false dawn.

A double-bogey six at 15 closed the gap to two, and that lead become one as Edmunds made five at 16.

Both players walked off the final short hole with a three, but Edmunds endured a nightmare on the last making a seven to Pinchon’s four – and that par was enough for a two-shot victory.

Pinchon became the sixth different player from Stoneham to lift the Holmes Trophy in 46 years, thanks to his total of 11-over. His other major Hampshire honour came when he claimed the County Foursomes at Stoneham, in 1997, playing with Peter Defty.

Mew’s best-of-the-day 78 saw him finish four shots behind Pinchon. Royal Jersey’s Trevor Gray, who won his second Holmes Trophy two years ago, took fourth on countback, having shot two 80s.

Brokenhurst Manor’s Paul Graham took the Pechell Trophy for the best handicap score, carding nett rounds of 71 and 75, playing off nine.

That was six shots clear of Hockley’s Adrian Bell, playing off eight, with Hayling’s Dave McMillan third after coming home with two nett 77s.

Lee-on-the-Solent’s Mark Dunnington had the best gross score in the Over 55s with rounds of 88 and 80, while Pinchon had the best Over 60s total.

Gray’s 16-over total was the best in the Over 65s while Mew, unsurprisingly, had the best Over 70s total.

There were also four age group winners for the Over 55s, Over 60s, Over 65s and Over 70s on handicap. Stoneham’s former county captain Steve Williams won the 55-59s with 81, 75, while Graham also picked up the 60-64 prize.

Bell won the Over 65s while Romsey’s Alan Wilson shot a nett 76 and 84 to take the Over 70s prize.

•FULL SCORES AND RESULTS

Pinchon is 10th Stoneham winner

JAMES Pinchon joins the likes of Mew, former county champion Richard Elmes and seven-time Sloane-Stanley Challenge Cup winner David Harrison, who claimed two over 55s titles, to go with his record haul in the men’s championship.

It was the 10^th time a player from the Southampton club had won the Holmes Trophy – seven of those wins have come in the last 12 years, thanks to Mews’ four victories, including 2020 when the title was shared for the only time, when Stoneham’s Martin Milne was declared the joint winner.

Mew, the former Hampshire captain, who played on the European Tour and the Seniors Tour before regaining his amateur status for a second time in 2010, stood down as England Seniors captain earlier this year.

He shares the record for the most wins in the championship with Brokenhurst Manor’s former county president, the late John Nettell, and Norman Barnes, another member of the New Forest club.

Brokenhurst Manor have claimed the championship 12 times in its history, with Hayling third in the roll of honours, with five wins by four different players.

It was the first time Tylney had hosted the Seniors Championship and Hampshire Golf president David Wheeler thanked the host club for the lengths the greenkeepers had gone to present the course in great condition.

He also thanked the clubhouse staff for looking after the players over the two days, on behalf of the 46-strong field that travelled to Hook.

It was the first time the championship had been extended to 36 holes – and played over two days – having been a 27-hole event played in one day since its creation back in 1978.

Tylney Park hosted the 2012 Hampshire Junior Championship when Brokenhurst Manor’s Jordan Ainley beat Jack Singh-Brar in a play-off.