Stoneham's Joe Buenfeld was left thinking of what might have been as Hampshire captain Toby Burden saved his side from defeat in their opening South East League match against Kent at Brokenhurst Manor, on Sunday, May 1.
The 22-year-old, who completed his four-year golf scholarship in Texas earlier this month, was sent out at the top of the singles order with Hampshire leading 3-1 after the morning foursomes, writes Andrew Griffin.
Buenfeld, from Romsey, had picked up a point playing with North Hants' former EuroPro Tour player Sam De'ath, who was appearing in just his second county match – seven years after making his debut while on a golf scholarship in Florida.
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But stood on the 18th with the match delicately poised as Kent mounted a sterling fight back, Buenfeld hit his tee shot out-of-bounds on the 333-yard driveable par-four.
That handed victory and some revenge to Lewis-Perkins, who had squared the topsy-turvy game three times before the 16th when he got back in front with a birdie four.
Buenfeld made a birdie at the tough 17th to stand on the 18th tee one-down-with-one-to-play before the errant drive that cost him maximum points.
Joe had fought back from two-down after five holes in the afternoon, to win three-in-a-row from the sixth to start the back nine with a one-hole advantage.
Having dropped a shot at the par-three 12th, the University of the Incarnate Word graduate made a great birdie on the 13th to edge back in front, only for Lewis-Perkins to birdie the par-five 16th to draw level.
Rowlands Castle's Tom Robson – a finalist in the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Championship at Brokenhurst back in 2015 – was losing heavily in the third match out, while behind the former county colts manager, veteran Martin Young was closing out his match against Kent's Tommy Lamb.
In a matter of minutes, Kent had reduced the deficit to one point only for Young to make it 5-3 thanks to his 5&4 stroll to victory, having been surprisingly beaten 7&6 in the foursomes, playing with Robson.
Last year's county Order of Merit winner – Robert Wheeler from North Hants – got up-and-down from the bunker 30 yards short of the pin on the last, to take a half from Lucas Dennison.
Last year's Hampshire Open winner had lost his ball off the tee on the 17th when one-up.
The bad news for captain Burden was Kent were in control in the bottom half of the draw, as former county champion Darren Walkley, from Liphook GC, lost the anchor match 4&3.
Hampshire needed a point from the last two remaining matches but Test Valley's former English Mid-Amateur Champion Stuart Archibald – who won the Mike Smith Memorial Trophy at Brokenhurst four years ago – lost on the last to Kent's talented teenager Jake Potter.
Three-time EuroPro winner Archibald, who won the Hampshire Mid-Amateur Championship for over 35s at Brokenhurst in 2021 a year after regaining his amateur status, could only make a four on the last to lose by one, after winning the tough 17th with a par.
Burden, who had never been in front in his match, made a crucial par at the 12th to level for a second time, only for former England junior Jacob Kelso to make a birdie on the 14th.
And when Kelso found the ditch on the 17th, Burden missed the green and then watched his downhill 18-foot for par somehow defy gravity and stop in the jaws of the hole, as Kelso made a remarkable bogey, getting up-and-down from 40 feet.
A long iron around the corner had given him a chance to avoid a double bogey and when Kelso missed an eight-footer for birdie on the last to win his game – and the match outright – Toby holed a six-footer for his four and the half that left the scores tied at 6-6.
Hampshire are bidding for a third South Division title – and an 18th in total – and a chance to become the first county to win the Daily Telegraph Salver three times in a row since Lionel Smith's Hampshire team did it in 2002.
They will probably need to beat both Sussex and Surrey in their remaining games, and hope they pick up more individual game points should another county also win two matches.
Hampshire travel to Cowdray Park in June, before finishing their fixtures with a match against Surrey at Burden's home club at Hayling in early August.
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