It's that time of year again, when the cream of the country's amateur golfers converge on the county for the "spring double" of the Selborne Salver and the Hampshire Hog.

Tomorrow it's Blackmoor's turn to throw down the gauntlet, while eager to pick it up is perhaps the finest field assembled in the 28 years of this tournament, with the bar for the 60 competitors going down at 0.0.

His record and his handicap of +4.4 again mark Gary Wolstenholme down as the man to beat. The four-times Walker Cupper was defending champion last year.

But though the man from Kilworth Springs didn't win, he more than made up for it, claiming the South African Strokeplay, Berkhamsted Trophy, Hampshire Hog, Berkshire Trophy and Lagonda in a magnificent season.

Doncaster is home to the St Leger, the Rovers - and Graeme Clark, who won the Selborne Salver in a three-way play-off last year.

A member of both the Walker Cup and GB & I squads, the amiable Yorkshireman would relish being the first man since Peter McEvoy in 1979 and 1980 to take the title in consecutive years.

Matching Clark's +3 mark is another member of the all-conquering Yorkshire side, Jonathan Lupton (Middlesbrough), a GB & I team member and part of the England elite squad.

Now a regular in Hampshire, he has served his apprenticeship and has the game for Blackmoor.

Young Zane Scotland from Walton Heath is one of seven players off a handicap of +3. In 2002, he won the Spanish and Portuguese titles, the Dutch under-21 event and the Dunes Medal down under.

A strong start to 2003 could boost his chances of a coveted spot when the Americans come to Ganton in September.

Martin Sell, of the Wrag Barn club at Swindon, came agonisingly close to a place in this week's US Masters at Augusta. At Royal Porthcawl last June, he fought his way to the final of the Amateur Championship, where he lost at the last to Spain's Alejandro Larrazabal.

Fergal Keenan (Royal Mid-Surrey), another +3 member of the England elite squad, was runner-up in the St Andrew's Links Trophy in 2002. Off in an attractive last match with Clark and Scotland, he could be there or thereabouts at the end of the day.

Ross Fisher (Wentworth) has already made his mark this year, winning the Sunningdale Foursomes last month. A prodigious hitter, he is sure to have Blackmoor members marvelling at the shortness of his second shots.

Matt Richardson, the 18-year-old from Pinner Hill, had a glorious 2002. The GB Boys player won the World Junior Championship and the McEvoy Trophy and led into the final round of the Brabazon at Deal, so he is one to watch this weekend.

Another is Lee Corfield (Burnham & Berrow), who opened up with three 69s en route to victory in the 2002 Lytham Trophy. A links specialist, it will be interesting to see how he manages the confines of Blackmoor.

Jamie Moul (Stoke-by-Nayland) finished second in the 2002 Salver and Hog, but was compensated by winning the Hampshire Salver for lowest aggregate over the two days. A member of the GB Boys' squad, he was unbeaten in the 14-10 Jacques Leglise Trophy victory over the Continent at Lausanne, seeing off the two top Europeans in his singles matches.

Dean Barnes (Ferndown) won the West of England at stormy Royal North Devon a year ago, so is a proven winner, while Paul Bradshaw (Gainsborough) and Kevin Freeman (Retford), winner at Stoke Poges and Frilford Heath in 2002, thicken the plot even further.

Among others who could do well are Wentworth's Sam Osborne, who reached the last four of the English at Walton Heath and Jamie Donaldson (West Sussex).

Strong local interest is provided by David Porter (Stoneham), Martin Young (Brokenhurst Manor) and James Knight (Sandford Springs), a reinstated amateur who won the Salver back in 1996.

On Sunday, most of the field will move up the road for the Hampshire Hog at North Hants. Last year, Gary Wolstenholme carded a brace of 66s and no one is betting against a repeat performance.