Confident Wheeler aims to go low at Hampshire Hog

BY late on Sunday evening, golf fans will be celebrating the crowning of the new Masters champion at Augusta, when defending champion Jon Rahm hands over the famous Green Jacket in the Butler Cabin,

But several hours earlier, members of North Hants Golf Club will be congratulating the latest winner of the prestigious Hampshire Hog – previously won by teenager Justin Rose, who was just 14 when he shocked the amateur golf world by winning in 1995.

The Hog dates back to 1957 and a number of its winners have indeed gone on to play at Augusta in the Masters – the last being Gloucestershire’s Joe Long, the 2020 amateur champion, who led the Hog after 18 holes in 2018.

In recent years, 2022 US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick, his Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood and three-time European Tour winner Andy Sullivan have teed it up at the Minley Road course.

Hopes of a home win – Rose was the last 29 years ago – rest on the shoulders of Robert Wheeler, from Aldershot, who helped Hampshire win the South East League final for the first time since 2012, back in October.

The Tournament Golf College student has spent the last couple of months fine-tuning his game in Portugal with other golfers who train on the course run at the St Mellion golf complex in Cornwall, which was designed by Augusta legend Jack Nicklaus.

Wheeler has made giant strides since making the last 16 at the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Championship when it was staged at North Hants back in 2021.

Now as a first–team regular he is looking to improve on his excellent fourth-place finish 12 months ago.

The 22-year-old, who now plays off plus-three said: “I finished my university at the end of last year and as for the past couple of years, we have then moved to Portugal and played as amateurs on the Portugal Pro Tour.

“I shot my lowest-ever round – a 65 – at Penina, in February. I followed that up by winning the Tournament Golf College’s Tour Championship on the Christy O’Connor course at Amendoiera, going even lower with a nine-under in the first round.

“I won the 54-hole event by 12 shots and then in another TGC Order of Merit event, I shot a 66 – six-under – on the Faldo course at Amendoiera.

“So in the space of 10 days, I shot rounds of 65, 63 and 66, and broke two course records.

“That’s testimony to how much work I have put in on my game since the end of last season.

“I now have the confidence to know I can produce some really low scores, and when I do, I can then go low again.

“That is a massive change in my game. And by producing three top10s in counting events, I have improved my World Amateur Golf Ranking from 4,964 when I got my first one back in October, to the point where I am now ranked around 2,000th.

“That makes a huge difference to the kind of events I can get into this season – if I can get into the world’s top 1,500 that will get me into everything I want to play in, such as the English and British Amateur Championships.

“I did well last year, finishing eighth in the Berkshire Trophy, and becoming a regular in the county side that won the South Division and the South East League Final.

“I was very pleased with the way last season went – after the progress I made in Portugal last year, and then finishing fourth in the Hog at the first attempt.

“It kick-started my season, and now I am hoping the way I have been able to prepare for the past three months will see me do even better this year.

“I want to learn from playing in more of the bigger events this season.

“If I can get used to playing in them – hopefully I can then have one last season as an amateur in 2025 before thinking about turning pro.”

Entry to Sunday’s Hampshire Hog is free – the first round gets underway at 8am with all the players starting their second round by early afternoon.