George Saunders banished any bad memories of Hampshire’s last defeat at Hindhead seven years ago by earning two vital points that helped his side draw 6-6 with Surrey – and book their passage to the South East League Final for a second year in a row.

The former England under-16 cap spent nearly six years in the States on four different golf scholarships because of the disruption caused by Covid-19 – before joining Liphook earlier this year.

Having regained his place in Lawrence Cherry’s Daily Telegraph Salver-winning side at the start of the season, his experience counted for everything in the morning foursomes which were threatening to get away from the reigning South Division champions.

Having lost four and drawn three of their last 12 encounters with Surrey, Hampshire arrived at the majestic heathland course – with the heather and tall pines covering the slopes and fairways looking out towards the Devil’s Punch Bowl – knowing a draw would hand them the division title for a 17th time since 1964.

It was a typically tight in the top two of the four morning foursomes – but Blackmoor’s county champion Sam Parsons – playing with Jersey’s Jo Hacker in the third match – romped to a 6&4 win over Surrey’s Alex Wells and Freddie Surgey.

Basingstoke’s Great Britain and Ireland international Charlie Forster, who travelled down from the North East after being knocked out of the English Amateur in the last 16 – lost the top match 2&1 with Stoneham’s Joe Buenfeld, against Max O’Hagan and Nathan Woodham.

Luke Stock and Aadam Sayeed piled on the pressure on Hayling’s Toby Burden, and his Liphook playing partner Darren Walkley, who won the Devil’s Punch Bowl Cup at Hindhead in 2014.

The Hampshire pair lost on the last but Saunders made a 35-footer across the 18th green to snatch the win on the last by one against Ben Palmer and Hindhead veteran David Corben, playing in his last match after seven years as Surrey captain, in two spells.

Saunders said: “We were two-down with six to play but won the 13th after Ryan chipped it close after I drove short of the green and then I holed a 15-footer for a birdie on the 16th.

“I then returned the favour for Ryan by chipping out of the rough to gimme range on the 17th and then made a long putt on the last to win by one. It felt like a real momentum swing with the rest of the team watching from the clubhouse.”

Hampshire skipper Burden put himself out last in the singles, and had something of a buffer going three-up after the turn. But the match was on a knife edge, with Hampshire up in four and down in four.

Forster, who left Hindhead for Scotland to make his England debut in the Home Internationals at Murcar Links, won 2&1 after making a birdie at the 17th from 12 feet having given a couple of holes away.

Saunders, who won four holes in a row from the 11th – thanks to three birdies – to go two-up, then lost 16 and 17 to birdies from next year’s Surrey captain O’Hagan.

He needed a bogey from O’Hagan to win on the last while Hacker completed a 4&3 win over junior Surgey, to briefly put Hampshire 5-2 up.

But minutes later, a limping Parsons lost 7&5 to Palmer after suffering a painful toe mid-round – losing six holes in a row – and an-out-of-sorts Walkley lost 3&2 to Stock.

Former European Junior Open winner Buenfeld lost the 17th and could only par the last against Woodham as the hosts made it 5-5.

Veteran Henley lost 3&2 to Corben – last year’s English Mid-Amateur Champion – to put Surrey in the lead 6-5.

Burden, who had won the ninth and 11th, after losing the tenth to a birdie was two-up before winning the 12th with a par after Wells – last year’s England under-18 Mixed Championship winner – lost his ball.

Both made birdie threes at the short par-four 13th before Burden’s approach spun off the 14th green. But Burden’s chip halted a couple of inches from the hole as he went four-up.

He sealed the win – and the title – by halving the 15th.

By Andrew Griffin