TOM Robson was left cursing his luck after he tasted defeat in the final of the Hampshire, Isle of Wight & Channel Islands Amateur Championship for the third time in four years at Liphook on Sunday (writes Andrew Griffin).

The Rowlands Castle member, who won the Sloane Stanley Challenge Cup the last time the championship was held at the East Hampshire club in 2009, just could not shake off dogged opponent Owen Grimes of Romsey, despite having been in front for five of the 18 holes in a see-saw final.

Nineteen-year-old Grimes, who returned from his first year playing junior college golf in the States with an incredibly sharp short game, eventually made the key putt that counted for birdie on the par-five last, claiming victory after Robson missed from around six feet.

Ironically, Robson, 29, had just completed his first year at Jacksonville State University in Alabama – the same college that Masters winners Danny Willett attended – when he won at Liphook, beating Hayling’s Toby Burden at the second extra hole.

He believed his experience of quicker US greens would help him, Liphook being dubbed the ‘Augusta of Hampshire’ with putting surfaces running at around 12 on the stimp, making them quicker than most in the country and certainly the county.

Robson had taken the lead at the third hole with a birdie, but Grimes won the fifth, only for the Rowlands club’s assistant secretary to get his nose in front on the sixth after the Murray State golfer made a bogey five.

Grimes got up and down from the back of the seventh to claw it back to all square and took the lead for the first time by making a near 15-footer for a birdie two at the par-three 11th.

Robson looked to have had a let-off at the 12th as Grimes for once failed to convert from around eight feet and then made a five for par at the 13th. And the older man won the uphill 15th with a par-four after a great second shot from the rough and looked to be in charge with just three to play.

But having knocked out the defending champion, Shanklin & Sandown’s Jordan Sundborg, in Saturday’s quarter-final, having been four down with seven to play, winning at the first in sudden-death, Grimes then produced a massive birdie putt at the par-three 17th from all of 30 feet to draw level for a third time.

And that tipped the momentum going up the last. Both both found the green in two, with Grimes’ 30-footer curling from the top left of the sloping green to come up seven feet below the hole. Putting first, his nerve held, while Robson’s six-footer for a four came up short.

Robson was completely honest after watching rookie US college kid Grimes out-putt him for 18 holes. “Quite simply, I played really well tee to green all weekend, but to be blunt, I putted terribly in the final, which I’m not used to doing. Owen beat me fair and square. He putted a lot better than I did.

“It was nothing to do with fatigue,” Robson added. “It wasn’t my finest day and I’m still pretty gutted about it to be honest.”

Robson and Jordan Sundborg both had the chance to join the club of just 16 golfers who have claimed the Hampshire Championship twice or more in its 125-year history.

• Liphook’s Sam Lemon, who claimed the Hampshire U21 title at Hayling two years ago, claimed the final place in the knockout draw with rounds of 73 and 70.

But the 16th seed was beaten 6&5 in the first round by defending champion Jason Sundborg, who topped the leaderboard with rounds of 66 and 67 to win the Pechell Salver.

Jason Stokes, from La Moye, had broken the course record with a 64 in the first round with four birdies on the front nine, and a strong birdie, birdie finish.

• Saturday’s Hampshire Bowl was won by Liphook’s five-handicapper Trevor Findlay with 36 points - beating clubmate Bruce Mellstrom by a point with Liphook’s Howard Millard, off four, one back in third. Oliver, playing off eight, was fourth with 34 points.

• Liphook’s head greenkeeper, David Murdoch, and two of his assistants, Eddy Oliver and Harry Schorah, joined the higher handicappers who took part in the Sunday medal.

And it was Schorah, playing off 11, who claimed the Diamond Jubilee Bowl for the best net score with a two-under-par 68. He finished with a birdie four on the last to win by two from fellow Liphook member James Chapman.

They all received their prizes from Liphook captain Jillian Howarth.