Walkley impresses on return to the amateur golfing ranks
Darren Walkley announced his return to the amateur ranks by taking second spot in the Selborne Salver – one of the top men’s opens in the country.
The former Progolf Tour – who has played against the likes of emerging stars like France’s Antoine Rozner, Finland’s Sam Valimaki and Poland’s Adrian Moronk – lost a play-off to rising England teenager Zac Little, from Hertfordshire, whose father Sam played on the European and Challenge Tours.
Walkley, who only got his amateur status back last year after calling time on his professional career during the pandemic, showed the kind of form that earned him a county championship in 2015 and two Hampshire Order of Merits in his national ranked event at Blackmoor GG.
The Westborne golfer, who started playing golf at Crookhorn and Southsea GC, and went from being a sevenhandicapper to a county player with a plus-handicapper in several seasons, was finally beaten by a birdie at the thirdextra hole.
Walkley shot two rounds of 68 to post a two-under total on the tough East Hampshire heathland track at Bordon, and was only caught by Little’s storming second round 65 after carding 71 before lunch.
It was the fifth play-off for the Salver since 2002, and the second in the last three – given the event was called off in 2020 and 2021 because of
Covid.
After both players made light work of the tough dogleg 450-yard 10th with pars, Walkley looked in control as Little went long to the back of the notorious 18th.
He watched the teenager’s chip run down off to the front edge, with the Liphook man some 30 feet away on the fringe, left of the pin.
But the former England junior international popped his sand wedge into the hole with one bounce in front of a stunned Walkley, who left his approach some eight feet beyond the pin.
He nervelessly sank that and then opted for an iron on the 333-yard uphill first, which Ross Fisher famously drove with a three-wood when he won in 2004.
But with Little reducing his approach with a booming drive splitting the fairway to leave just a flicked wedge, Walkley watched as his approach came up 12 feet short on the line of the flag.
Little, some 70 yards closer, left his wedge just six feet below the hole and made no mistake as Walkley’s birdie effort ran out of pace a foot from the pin.
Losing to a three was no disgrace and Walkley said: ‘I was a member at Blackmoor for one year while a pro.
‘I finished in the top 10 in my first Salver in 2014, so I really like the course.
‘Well done to Zac – he looks like he could be some player producing a shot like that on 18 in a play-off.
‘I have to be pleased with my performance in my first big amateur event for eight years.
Rowlands Castle’s Darren Wright was 16th after shooting 73,69, while Hayling Island’s Toby Burden carded a 72 and 71 to finish 20th.
Hockley’s defending champion Luke Hodgetts finished 47th with two 74s.
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