FRESH from his debut in the Masters, Scott Gregory, Corhampton’s British Amateur Champion, will try to finally get his hands on the famous Hampshire Hog at North Hants on Sunday.

The Great Britain and Ireland international, who is ranked sixth in the world, was leading the Hog with six holes to play three years ago when the heavens opened, forcing play to be abandoned and the trophy awarded on the first-round scores.

Gregory had a tough baptism around Augusta’s hallowed holes among the maze of azaleas and rhododendrons, taking a treble bogey seven at the first hole on his way to an 82 on the Thursday.

That 10-over par total made making the cut all but impossible on Friday, but he eagled the second hole to earn a piece of Augusta’s famous crystal for anyone who cards one during the Masters.

He finally signed for a very respectable three-over-par 75 – and then had the weekend free to watch the incredible showdown between Sergio Garcia and North Hants’ own Justin Rose, a winner of the Hog aged just 14 back in 1994.

ANDREW GRIFFIN