When Justin Rose ‘over clubbed’

FOR the previous 18 months back in the mid-1990s, Justin Rose had made people sit up and take notice of the tall teenager from Hook.

Rose was able to mix it with not just the best junior talents in the country, but also beat many of the leading men’s amateurs as well.

Winning North Hants’ nationally-ranked Hampshire Hog competition, in April 1995, had alerted the golfing press to the existence of a very special talent – who became the first player to win the McGregor and Carris Trophies in the same season before the summer was out.

By the time the 1996 English Boys Finals came along, the England selectors were also aware that Rose’s Hampshire playing partner Dave Porter was no slouch either.

He was also three years younger – having taken up golf when he was eight, joining Wellow on the day it opened with his grandfather and golf mentor David Lewis.

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.

Hampshire drew the first day’s match with Yorkshire 4½-4½ as Porter lost the anchor match before Rose held on for a half in his singles match to keep the team in the hunt for the title.

But having been sent out first in the next match against eventual champions Cornwall, disaster struck after Rose and Porter had birdied the first two holes to lead by two against England internationals Philip Rowe and Adam Frayne.

David, who would win the Carris Trophy in 1999 aged 16, explained: “We left the second green very, very confident when Justin Rose reeled in horror as he discovered he had 15 clubs in his bag. He had left his two-iron in after the warm-up.

“He informed the referee and we went from being two-up to two-down as we got a two-hole penalty. There were a few choice words, and it definitely hurt us. We ended up losing all three foursomes.”

Flinn would maintain for many years that had they won the top match against Cornwall’s equally vaunted pairing it might have turned the tide Hampshire’s way instead of ending in a 6-3 defeat.

That meant Porter, Rose & Co. could not win the title on the last day against a Nottinghamshire team featuring future Ryder Cupper Ollie Wilson.

Dave reflected: “It was a massive learning curve. You put in huge amounts in prep at events like the English Boys, travelling with all the team meetings, warm-ups, practice, and course management planning.

“You often take your bag to the range to warm up with extra clubs, hitting certain shots you might need, or trying out things with more irons, an extra wedge, or a different combination of fairway woods.

“You obviously don’t go to the first tee with 14 clubs – remember when Ian Woosnam did it in the final round when leading The Open in 2001?

“Let’s just say there were some choice words and we both learned a lesson I doubt either of us have ever forgotten.”

Porter had to wait five years for another chance to go again – most players are lucky if they get to appear in two finals as most don’t get in the county team before they are 16.

The chance came in 2001 after Porter famously finished birdie, birdie at Burhill – the home club of then reigning English Amateur Champion Paul Casey, who had turned pro six months earlier, to fire Hampshire to the title.

David, who was now a member at Stoneham Golf Club, also claimed the individual prize for the best 36-hole total in the South East Boys Qualifier.

He remembered: “Funnily enough in 2001, I nearly did not play in the English Boys Finals because I had just flown back after playing for Great Britain and Ireland against Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy at Chantilly.

“Tommy Flinn, our manager, drove to my house to get my Hampshire kit, picked me up at Heathrow and then drove us up to Loughborough.

“I said I wasn’t going to play the practice round – I was too tired – and we beat Lancashire on the first day.”

Porter took maximum points beating fellow England international Matt Baldwin, who would go on to play on the European Tour for more than 20 years.

But having drawn with Warwickshire, Hampshire needed to beat Gloucestershire and hope they ended up with more game points than Lancashire, who would beat Warwickshire, on the last day.

Dave added: “I was very much the captain of that team – everyone looked up to me as I was England Boys captain that year too.

“We were 3-0 up after the foursomes against Warwickshire and Tommy put his top three out in the last three games, thinking it would go to the wire, but we lost the singles by three.

“Against Lancashire, anticipating they would put their top players out early because they were 2-1 down, we matched them up and we won the game 6-3.

“The manager has those conversations with the team about who plays in what order, and whether you put out your best pair in the foursomes, and try and guarantee at least one point, while also trying to guess who they will pair up, and where they play in the order.

“Richard Beeston will have those same decisions to make this week. The boys will love playing in the English Boys Finals… it’s the pinnacle. It’s what you practice for in the horrible weather in the winter.

“They are making memories for life. I will love it if they can win it.”

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