NEWPORT Golf Club’s Wayne Matthews and his son Nick will try to steer Hampshire Boys to the English finals in the South East qualifier at Blackmoor today (Thursday).

The father and son pairing from the Isle of Wight will be setting out to emulate the men’s team who were crowned English county champions for the first time in 21 years last autumn.

In recent years, the under-18s have been almost as successful as the men in dominating the regional qualifier — winning the 36-hole event in 2012, 2013 and 2015.

In 2014, they were second, missing out by just three shots.

The county’s junior development programme has proved to be one of the strongest in the country, having produced back-to-back British amateur champions.

Another team-mate, 2015 Hampshire Boys' champion, Conor Richards, of Sandown, and fellow Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club member, Jordan Sundborg, have both graduated to the men’s first team having helped Hampshire reach the finals three times between them.

Blackmoor’s John Moore, who is now the Hampshire Golf president, managed the team that made it through to the English Boys Finals.

Like the men, who qualified as South East champions seven times between 2002 and 2016, victory at the national stage has eluded Hampshire.

Now, Wayne Matthews, whose son Nick, off three, has the highest handicap in the six-man team, has taken over as manager of the Hampshire under-18 squad — mirroring the county’s success when future British amateur champion Scott Gregory, from Corhampton, was in the under-14s side managed by his dad, Mike.

Wayne is hoping experience of playing the notoriously difficult heathland course at Blackmoor will give his young team an edge, even if some of their rivals in the South East group may have more experience at the highest level of junior golf, including defending champions Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxford (BB&O).

Wayne said: “Blackmoor is a tactical course where long hitters do not get a real advantage. Irons off a number of tees will be the order of the day.

“It’s particularly true due to the spell of hot weather, with the course dry and the balls bouncing.

“Particular care has to be taken on approach shots, with players having to bounce the ball in.

“It is a course to play steady and patiently. We need not try to take too much on as the trees and heather will severely punish you.

“Playing par golf and picking birdies up when the opportunities arise is the way to go.

“Our boys have played in the club’s junior open a number of times, so hopefully that will be a key advantage.”

The last time Blackmooor hosted the South East Boys' County Qualifier event in 2011, Hampshire finished third, six shots behind Kent.

This year’s English boys' final will be held at Darlington’s Rockliffe Hall, at the end of August.