NEW county captain Colin Roope will play his double joker when Hampshire cross over to the Isle of Wight to face Kent in their second Daily Telegraph South-East League match of the season on Sunday (writes Andrew Griffin).

For the island’s only course on the county championship rota currently boasts two of the best college golfers in the country amongst the Shanklin & Sandown membership.

Jordan Sundborg is the reigning Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Champion, while former Hampshire Junior Champion Conor Richards is a Lander University player, who was named Conference player of the year earlier this month.

Sundborg became the first Isle of Wight player to claim the Sloane Stanley Challenge Cup since 1939 when he beat three-time county champion Martin Young in last summer’s final at Royal Jersey.

Since then, Sundborg, who has played for Hampshire in both the English Boys and Men’s Finals in the past four years, has returned for the second of a four-year golf scholarship at Stirling University and could not have arrived in a better shape.

The university north of the border have swept all before them in the past 12 months, winning the Scottish, British and European college championships.

He was in the Hampshire team that lost to Surrey at Hindhead in August, a defeat that ended Martin Young’s hopes of Hampshire earning a first South-East League title since 2012, having lost in two finals since.

But Hampshire’s six-man team went on to become English County Champions for the first time in 21 year – in fact since a teenage Justin Rose was in the team.

That victory at Trevose in October convinced Young, one of a handful of county golfers to be a successful playing captain in the amateur ranks, to step down at the end of last year and hand over to team-mate Roope, from Blackmoor.

Sundborg , who travelled up to Fairhaven, in Lancashire last Wednesday to qualify in 30th place for the Brabazon Trophy, which is being held at Oxford’s Frilford Heath, at the end of this month, said: “I’m really looking forward to getting back with the team this weekend for a very important match against Kent.

“I’m also looking forward to a run of tournaments – such as the Brabazon, defending my county championship crown at Liphook in early June, and then heading back to Scotland for the British Amateur at Royal Aberdeen later next month.

“This academic year, Stirling are the European, Scottish and British champs. We have won everything there is to win as a team.

“So I’m feeling good and can’t wait to be part of a really strong county team for the forthcoming match.”

Hampshire drew with Dorset after Roope was left as the last-man standing at Remedy Oak two weeks ago, winning his singles match for the point that made it 6-6.

Hampshire have not beaten Kent since 2014 and two years ago they inflicted their heaviest defeat in many a year, winning 10-2 at North Hants in Young’s second match in charge.

Roope brought over a strong first team for the match against the Isle of Wight at Shanklin & Sandown last month, which the county won comfortably, and has Spanish Amateur Champion Billy McKenzie, who made his England debut against France two weeks ago, available after it clashed with the Dorset game.

Roope said: “Obviously, with Conor and Jordan back in the UK, it’s important I get them into the team playing a course they know so well.

“Coming over for the friendly against the Island team was an invaluable part of the preparations for the Kent game.

“We would love to see as many golf fans as possible come out and watch – and support – the English County Champions.”

Roope played in two English County Finals for Surrey more than 10 years ago, before forcing his way into the Hampshire team after moving over the border two years ago.

The 37-year-old recruitment director is delighted with McKenzie’s progress, especially with Scott Gregory and Harry Ellis – the last two British Amateur Champions – no longer available to wear the light blue of Hampshire.

Roope added: “I played in the same Surrey team with two future European Tour players, Ross McGowan and James Morrison, and when I first got picked for Surrey, James Heath, who was in the last four at the Belgian Knockout on Sunday, had just won the English Amateur the year before.

“Billy is the most talented golfer I’ve played with and I’ve played with a few, including Ross and James who both went on to become European Tour winners.”

The four foursomes games start at 8.30am, with the eight singles starting at 2pm.