The Lytham Trophy

Introduction

From its inception the Lytham Trophy was an immediate success. Four club members - Colin Maclaine  Ken Lennox Ross Milne and Tony Nickson - identified the need for a seventy-two hole medal event and with the aid if Jack Taylor of the Lancashire Golfing Union and the formidable Gerald Micklem of the Engish Golfing Union, a high quality field featured from the first year onwards. The Scottish, Irish and Welsh Unions recognised the potential the event offered and the Walker Cup selectors joined the national selectors in watching the play.

In the subsequent years the Lytham Trophy has become established as a major event in the amateur calendar. National teams from Germany, Spain, Italy and Sweden have competed. A handicap of plus 2.0 or better has been needed to be included in the starting field of 125 players. 

Winners have included top life long amateurs and players who went on to distinguished careers in the professional game. In the former category are Michael Bonallack, Rodney Foster, Charlie Green, Tom Craddock and Peter McEvoy. Included in the latter are Clive Clark, Peter Townsend, PAul Broadhurst and Gary Evans.

Of equal interest is the list of names of those who entered but did not win. In the year he finished in fourth place at the Open in Birkdale, Justin Rose did not make the 36 hole cut. Ronan Rafferty lost a play off to Roger Chapman. Padraig Harrington played in five consecutive events and never even got third place, though Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry did on more than one occasion. Rory McIlroy finished third on his two appearances.

The players enjoy the opportunity to play on one of the country's top courses in excellent early season condition and the members enjoy giving up the course for the weekend so that they can see how it should be played.

Day One

The first day of the 2011 Lytham Trophy was dry and sunny but a mischievous easterly breeze and testing pin positions produced a day of scoring that indicated how Europe's top players struggled. The best round was by Jack Senior of Heysham whose one over par 71 left him one shot clear of the field. Three French players were in the top five. As usual there was an international flavour to the entry with players from Australia Switzerland Germany France Netherlands Finland Norway Denmark and the USA as well as the four Home Countries.

Defending champion Paul Cutler, fresh from winning the West of Ireland just three days earlier was handily placed on fifteenth place after an opening 75. Of the players from the Fylde, Henry Tomlinson of Royal Lytham was best placed on 77. The Campbells were coming in the form of Scott Michael and Glen but were some way down the list on the close of play.

Day Two

Whilst the day was bright and sunny, there was a strong easterly wind and the outcome was carnage, some bruised egos and an occasional broken spirit. In calm weather the par for the course is 70 and the CSS 76 which is revealing in itself. In yesterday's gentle breeze the CSS was 77 and today the computer calculations did for some time produce a CSS of 79 non-counting for handicap before settling for a CSS of 79.

The first day leader Jack Senior had a few senior moments of his own in completing the first nine in 44 against a par of 34 but his 82 still left him within six shots of the lead. The anonymous player who went round in 98 gross of plus two would have had a nett score of 100.

Club choice at the par fives - the seventh and eleventh - which are played in opposite directions give an indication of the strength of the breeze. The Lytham Trophy provides an opportunity for nation to speak to nation. At the seventh which is 587 yards after two long full shots Davis Puksts of Latvia struck a firm three iron to within four feet and got the only birdie of the day. At the 601 yard eleventh Tapio Pulkkanene of Finland followed a good drive with a second shot to fifteen feet of the hole. The club used was an eight iron.

The lead after the second round was held by Tom Lewis of Welwyn Garden City who had a commendable 75 for 147. Three players were tied for second on 149 - Jordan Findlay of Fraserburgh and Miro Vejalainen of Finland who both had 72 the best scores of the day and Arnaud Abbas of France who had a 77.

Final Day

Whilst still warm and sunny the easterly wind was only slightly less and playing thirty six holes was a challenge. Ben Westgate whose attitude throughout was refreshingly positive had a commendable 70 in the morning. Of the 361 rounds played in the event overall he was the only player to equal the par of 70. The lead at lunchtime was held by Tom Lewis of Welwyn Garden City who added a steady 75 to his overnight score of 147. He started his last round with a two and at that stage had a six stroke lead on the rest of the field.

A lost ball at the fifth was followed by a gentle implosion and he eventually finished in fourth place, five shots behind the winner. The French player Julien Brun kept plugging away  to finish second after two solid rounds of 76. In fourth place was Irish player Jeff Hopkins, who only a few years ago was on the books of Blackburn Rovers until set back by a knee injury. A lost ball at the eighteenth prevented him from being second.

Jack Senior's 82 in the second round left him much to do but he followed a strong third round of 72 with an equally good fourth round of 74. In the conditions 146 for thirty-six holes was exceptional. A wobble at the seventeenth was followed by a tee shot to the front edge of the eighteenth green and two putts for a three. His total of 299 meant that he won by five clear shots.

The SSS for the par 70 course is 76. Even in the gentle zephyr on the Friday the CSS was 77. In the following rounds it was 79, 78 and 79. The quality of golf the players were able to produce in such testing conditions was to their credit.