Burden takes Courage
TOBY Burden continued the good form he showed at the British Amateur at Muirfield two weeks ago by finishing second in the Courage Trophy at Blackmoor, on July 4.
The 36-hole event is the second most important strokeplay tournament the amateurs of Hampshire, Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands compete for.
But it also meant disappointment for the Hayling ace, who finished second behind Elliott Groves a year ago at The Army GC, at Aldershot.
Burden was delighted though to break par for the first time around the heathland track which has been used regularly as a regional qualifying venue for the Open in the past two decades.
And he revealed his ball striking was so good that he had enough birdie opportunities in his afternoon round to threaten the course record of 63 – currently held by Blackmoor's Mark Burgess, who went on to pip Burden by a stroke.
That gave the insurance company accountant, who became the first Blackmoor player to win the R&A-ranked Selborne Salver it hosts annually last year, his second Courage victory in five years.
Burden, who had just missed an eagle chance on the short par four first revealed a tip from the 1992 Selborne Salver winner Mark Treleaven – the head pro at Hayling – was the key to his success.
Toby said: "I have never scored very well here despite the number of times I have played in the Salver. Mark told me to take plenty of irons off the tee instead of driver and to keep the ball in play.
"I could have gone really low in the afternoon. I gave myself plenty of chances. I had a couple of putts that lipped out and I left so many on the edge of the hole."
His one-under par 68 in the afternoon was the same second round score as the eventual champion's but Burgess' 69 before lunch was one better than Burden's and proved the difference.
In Scotland, Burden was only beaten on his debut in the British Amateur Championship at Muirfield last month by a player with Walker Cup experience.
The 21-year-old just scraped inside the top 64-and ties to make it into the matchplay stage.
But the extra experience of Chris Paisley, who played for Great Britain and Ireland against America in Philadelphia last year, proved too much of a burden for Toby, who lost 2&1 with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.
Burden beat Bath's Charlie Cossins to impress the watching England selectors with a win on the last hole in round two.
No one gave last year's beaten Hampshire Amateur Championship Final much hope of reaching the last 64 when he drew the short straw to face in-form Andy Sullivan.
But the England Elite squad member from Nuneaton, who was runner-up in the Hampshire Salver in April, lost 4&3 to give Toby the biggest win of his matchplay career so far.
Burden will be in action for Hampshire, IoW & CI this weekend when he plays in the six-man team bidding to reach the English County Finals for the third time in four years.
Hampshire are hosting the event at Southampton's Stoneham Golf Club with 10 other counties in the English Golf Union's South Eastern Group.
They last staged the event at Stoneham 11 years ago and Burden makes his debut in the competition, having become a regular in the county's Daily Telegraph eight-man league side over the past two years.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Hayling
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -4 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -5 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
