JUSTIN Rose has been inspiring future Hampshire golfers for more than 25 years – since he burst on to the amateur scene with victory in the Hampshire Hog as a teenager, beating the country’s best England internationals at North Hants GC.

That incredible display over 36 holes over Fleet’s highly regarded heathland course in April 1995, not only helped the then current and the next couple of generations of juniors across Hampshire to up their game.

The Hook golf ace went on to be crowned Olympic Champion, become the first Englishman to win the US Open in more than 40 years, and claimed the 2018 Fed Ex Cup – to match his Volvo Order of Merit victory on the European Tour 11 years earlier.

The veteran of five Ryder Cups, including three victories, is still inspiring the kids of today who look up to him.

Step forward the latest young talent to emerge from North Hants’ junior ranks – Albie Beeston, the current Hampshire U13s champion, from Kempshott.

Twelve-year-old Beeston has been impressing Hampshire’s coaches with a string of strong displays since the pandemic lockdowns ended.

His golfing education among the county’s elite continued in when North Hants’ Hampshire Neil Dawson picked his team for the annual curtain-raiser – the Past, Present, Future match at Hayling GC.

Beeston got an 11th hour call-up to play for Hampshire junior manager Dave Matthews’ Future team.

So Matthews called Albie’s father Richard at 10pm on the Saturday evening, to see if he could make it to Hayling for an early start.

Just 11 hours later – with little time to think about the daunting task of facing a county first-team regular and Hampshire Seniors player, playing off scratch in the triangular match – Albie was stood on that first tee on the tough links course overlooking the Solent.

It proved a baptism of fire, as he was drawn against Stoneham’s Ryan Henley – one of just two current players to have won the Sloane-Stanley Challenge Cup at the county championship three times in their career.

His other opponent was former Hampshire Seniors Champion Tim Gilbert, playing on his home course.

But Beeston was not intimidated by the breezy links conditions, making a birdie at the tricky par three first, yards from the shingle shoreline.

Henley has appeared in Hampshire colours at seven English County Finals since 2002.

The 44-year-old remains one of the most talented players in their ranks, and having taken a break in 2017 after becoming a father, he is back in the first team squad for 2022.

Beeston admitted feeling as nervous as he ever has done on the golf course, but showed the talent that brought him the Hampshire U14s crown at Fareham’s Cams Hall, which overlooks Portsmouth Harbour.

Golf by the sea clearly doesn’t faze him. He held off Henley for five holes before the Southampton player’s vast experience and ability told, eventually losing the match 4&2.

But any disappointment was more than made up by Albie holing a five-footer on the 17th for a 2&1 victory against Gilbert.