Eggo can't be ruled out of third county success

IT'S 21 years since Bobby Eggo won the second of his two Hampshire county titles and don't write off him winning a third. On yesterday afternoon's evidence, the former Walker Cup star has as good a chance as most this weekend.

Partnering Jack Mitchell, the new island champion, he rolled in a 20-footer for birdie on the last to rescue a half against Martin Young and Toby Burden in the first of five friendly fourballs used to acclimatise the visitors to L'Ancresse.

That putt represented his 29th shot of the back nine which increasingly looked like producing a narrow win for the visitors.

Talented ones, too.

Young arrives as the English Mid-Amateur champion and he spent much of this match checking yardage with the aid of satellite navigation.

Young and Burden are two of 16 scratch or better players playing today's 36 holes qualifier ahead of the weekend matchplay stages.

A further 22 boast handicaps ranging from one to three.

The course looked immaculate as the sun finally poked its nose through the grey.

Nobody was happier than county secretary Barry Morgan, who described L'Ancresse as 'a class course'.

'It's one of only four links courses in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight and apart from La Moye all of them are on the rota for the championships,' he said.

In all, 10 courses are used and the last time the event came to Guernsey, in 1997, Scott Stanley emerged winner with Justin Rose the losing finalist.

Stuart Archibald, the defending champion, is among the field, but he finished on the losing side in both his own fourball and the match as a whole.

With the home pairings of Steve Mahy and Jamie Blondel, Dave Rowlinson and Jamie Blondel and Nigel Vaudin and Sean Mills all winning, Guernsey won the match by 3.5 to 1.5.