Eleven Irish chasing glory in 50th Lytham Trophy
Royal Lytham and St Annes. Picture via royallytham.org
Newly-crowned West of Ireland champion Jack Hume will be gunning for some payback when he heads an 11-strong Irish challenge for the 50th edition of the Lytham Trophy which starts at Royal Lytham and St Annes on Friday.
Only three Irish players have won the Lytham Trophy since it was first played in 1965 — Tom Craddock (1969), Martin Sludds (1982) and Paul Cutler (2010). But after losing out to Finland's Albert Eckhardt in a playoff for the title last year, the Naas ace must be regarded as one of the top contenders for the title.
The 144-strong field with play one round on both Friday and and Saturday with the leading 40 and tied then play 36 holes on Sunday.
Rory McNamara (Headfort), Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene), Irish Close champion Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass), Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock), Gary Hurley (West Waterford), Richard Bridges (Stackstown), Gary Collins (Rosslare), Eugene Smith (Ardee), Reeve Whitson (Mourne) and Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) complete the Irish line up.
Whitson was fifth last year but Irish eyes could well look to McElroy, who was 24th, to finally add a major title to his stellar CV.
Lytham Trophy, Royal Lytham and St Annes, May 2-4
| Time R1 | Match | Time R2 | Name | Club |
| 0730 | 1 | 1140 | Fraser Moore Glenbervie | Glenbervie |
| Rory McNamara Headfort | Headfort | |||
| Jack Singh Brar Remedy Oak | Remedy Oak | |||
| 0740 | 2 | 1150 | Tiarnan McLarnon Massereene | Massereene |
| Kenny Subregis France | France | |||
| Jack Cardy Ipswich | Ipswich | |||
| 0750 | 3 | 1200 | Dominic S Barnes Caldy | Caldy |
| Marcel Ohorn Germany | Germany | |||
| Ben Amor Marlborough | Marlborough | |||
| 0800 | 4 | 1210 | Jacopo Jori Italy | Italy |
| Mathias Eggenberger Switzerland | Switzerland | |||
| Jorge Simon de Miguel Spain | Spain | |||
| 0810 | 5 | 1220 | Bobby Keeble Crowlands Heath | Crowlands Heath |
| Martin Keskari Germany | Germany | |||
| Cormac Sharvin Ardglass | Ardglass | |||
| 0820 | 6 | 1230 | Tom Robson Weymouth | Weymouth |
| Louis Tomlinson West Lancashire | West Lancashire | |||
| Johannes Diederichs Germany | Germany | |||
| 0830 | 7 | 1240 | Adam Chapman Windermere | Windermere |
| Robert Burlison Oxley Park | Oxley Park | |||
| Kyle McClung Wigtownshire County | Wigtownshire County | |||
| 0840 | 8 | 1250 | Freddie Sheridan-Mills Walsall | Walsall |
| Oskar Bergqvist Sweden | Sweden | |||
| Ryan Evans Wellingborough | Wellingborough | |||
| 0850 | 9 | 1300 | Luis Thiele Brazil | Brazil |
| Maximilian Oelfke Germany | Germany | |||
| Connor Syme Dumfries & County | Dumfries & County | |||
| 0900 | 10 | 1310 | Jack Barrie Yule Middleton Hall | Middleton Hall |
| Scott Gibson Southerness | Southerness | |||
| Michael Saunders Dartford | Dartford | |||
| 0910 | 11 | 1320 | Markus Maukner Austria | Austria |
| Geoff Lenehan Portmarnock | Portmarnock | |||
| Patrick Bell R. Lytham & St Annes | R. Lytham & St Annes | |||
| 0920 | 12 | 1330 | Gary Hurley West Waterford | West Waterford |
| MD Duncalf Formby | Formby | |||
| Maximilian Roehrig Germany | Germany | |||
| 0930 | 13 | 1340 | Christiaan Bezuidenhout South Africa | South Africa |
| Adam Blomme Sweden | Sweden | |||
| Allyn Dick Kingsknowe | Kingsknowe | |||
| 0940 | 14 | 1350 | Steve McGlynn Preston | Preston |
| Ben Bradley Germany | Germany | |||
| Jamie Savage Cawder | Cawder | |||
| 0950 | 15 | 1400 | Julien Cosentino France | France |
| Andrew Wilson Darlington | Darlington | |||
| Jamie Dick Forest Hills (Gloucestershire) | Forest Hills (Gloucestershire) | |||
| 1000 | 16 | 1410 | Mark Porter Sherwood Forest | Sherwood Forest |
| John Douglas Aberdour | Aberdour | |||
| Sigot Lopez Spain | Spain | |||
| 1010 | 17 | 1420 | Christian Braeunig Germany | Germany |
| Mark Young Longridge | Longridge | |||
| Joe Dean Lindrick | Lindrick | |||
| 1020 | 18 | 1430 | Jean-Michel Hall Woburn | Woburn |
| Paul Howard Southport & Ainsdale | Southport & Ainsdale | |||
| Gordon Stevenson Whitecraigs | Whitecraigs | |||
| 1030 | 19 | 1440 | Thriston Lawrence South Africa | South Africa |
| J S Bower Meltham | Meltham | |||
| Jake McNulty Canada | Canada | |||
| 1040 | 20 | 1450 | Daniel Kay Dunbar | Dunbar |
| Alastair Jones Radyr | Radyr | |||
| Graeme Robertson Glenbervie | Glenbervie | |||
| 1050 | 21 | 1500 | Tim Gornik Slovenia | Slovenia |
| Harry Casey Enfield | Enfield | |||
| Darius Van Driel Netherlands | Netherlands | |||
| 1100 | 22 | 1510 | Robbie Van West Prise d Eau | Prise d Eau |
| Lee Jones Conwy(Caernarvonshire) | Conwy(Caernarvonshire) | |||
| Dermot McElroy Ballymena | Ballymena | |||
| 1110 | 23 | 1520 | Joel Girrbach Switzerland | Switzerland |
| Richard Bridges Stackstown | Stackstown | |||
| Robin Roussel France | France | |||
| 1120 | 24 | 1530 | Alyn Torrence Wrexham | Wrexham |
| Marcus Kinhult Sweden | Sweden | |||
| Mathias Gladbjerg Denmark | Denmark | |||
| 1140 | 25 | 0730 | L Johnson Kings Lynn | Kings Lynn |
| Nicolai Kristensen Denmark | Denmark | |||
| Oliver Carr Heswall | Heswall | |||
| 1150 | 26 | 0740 | Sebastian Von Den Hoff Germany | Germany |
| Ian Kenwright Haydock Park | Haydock Park | |||
| Ciaran Paul Doherty Bury | Bury | |||
| 1200 | 27 | 0750 | Daniel Young Craigie Hill | Craigie Hill |
| Javier Ballesteros Spain | Spain | |||
| Albert Eckhardt Finland | Finland | |||
| 1210 | 28 | 0800 | Anthony Renard France | France |
| Niklas Noergaard Moeller Denmark | Denmark | |||
| Ashley Chesters Hawkstone Park | Hawkstone Park | |||
| 1220 | 29 | 0810 | Haydn McCullen Delamere Forest | Delamere Forest |
| Dominic Foos Germany | Germany | |||
| Andre Tourinho Brazil | Brazil | |||
| 1230 | 30 | 0820 | Oliver Roberts Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| Mark Phillip Collins Chart Hills | Chart Hills | |||
| Ashton Turner Kenwick Park | Kenwick Park | |||
| 1240 | 31 | 0830 | Kristian Krogh Johannessen Norway | Norway |
| Gary Collins Rosslare | Rosslare | |||
| W P Shucksmith Alwoodley | Alwoodley | |||
| 1250 | 32 | 0840 | Reeve Whitson Mourne | Mourne |
| S Whitaker Blankney | Blankney | |||
| Kristoffer Ventura Norway | Norway | |||
| 1300 | 33 | 0850 | S Edwards Bigbury | Bigbury |
| James McCormick Styal | Styal | |||
| Daniel Wasteney Lindrick | Lindrick | |||
| 1310 | 34 | 0900 | P Kinnear Formby | Formby |
| Adam Dunton McDonald | McDonald | |||
| Alasdair Mcdougall Elderslie | Elderslie | |||
| 1320 | 35 | 0910 | Edouard Amacher Switzerland | Switzerland |
| Oscar Granstrom-Livesey R. Mid-Surrey | R. Mid-Surrey | |||
| Martino Morszeck Germany | Germany | |||
| 1330 | 36 | 0920 | Hurly Long Germany | Germany |
| Toby Tree Golf at Goodwood | Golf at Goodwood | |||
| Sean Towndrow Southport & Ainsdale | Southport & Ainsdale | |||
| 1340 | 37 | 0930 | Christopher Dammert Germany | Germany |
| Frederic Lacroix France | France | |||
| Felix Kvarnstrom Sweden | Sweden | |||
| 1350 | 38 | 0940 | Juuso Kahlos Finland | Finland |
| Victor Joffray France | France | |||
| John Carroll Huyton & Prescot | Huyton & Prescot | |||
| 1400 | 39 | 0950 | Thomas Lawton Wilmslow | Wilmslow |
| Jordan Smith Bowood Golf & Country Club | Bowood Golf & Country Club | |||
| Maximilian Mehles Germany | Germany | |||
| 1410 | 40 | 1000 | Nicholas Arnoldi South Africa | South Africa |
| Jonathan Hurst Pleasington | Pleasington | |||
| Jimmy Mullen R. North Devon | R. North Devon | |||
| 1420 | 41 | 1010 | Daniel Brown Bedale | Bedale |
| Jack Anthony Hume Naas | Naas | |||
| Alexander Culverwell Dunbar | Dunbar | |||
| 1430 | 42 | 1020 | Jack McDonald Kilmarnock (Barassie) | Kilmarnock (Barassie) |
| Eugene Smith Ardee | Ardee | |||
| Vince Van Veen Netherlands | Netherlands | |||
| 1440 | 43 | 1030 | Michael Smyth R. Troon - Old Course | R. Troon - Old Course |
| Alfie Plant Rochester & Cobham Park | Rochester & Cobham Park | |||
| Adam Wilson Mold | Mold | |||
| 1450 | 44 | 1040 | Nick Marsh Huddersfield | Huddersfield |
| Simon Zach Czech Republic | Czech Republic | |||
| Michael Hirmer Germany | Germany | |||
| 1500 | 45 | 1050 | Bradley Neil Blairgowrie | Blairgowrie |
| Vitek Novak Czech Republic | Czech Republic | |||
| Toby Crisp Links (Newmarket) | Links (Newmarket) | |||
| 1510 | 46 | 1100 | Severiano Prins Netherlands | Netherlands |
| Alexander Stubbs Oxfordshire (The) | Oxfordshire (The) | |||
| Henry Tomlinson R. Lytham & St Annes | R. Lytham & St Annes | |||
| 1520 | 47 | 1110 | Scott Borrowman Dollar | Dollar |
| Craig Howie Peebles | Peebles | |||
| Ewen Ferguson Bearsden | Bearsden | |||
| 1530 | 48 | 1120 | Greig Marchbank Thornhill | Thornhill |
| Alasdair Dalgliesh Haywards Heath | Haywards Heath | |||
| Craig David Ross Kirkhill | Kirkhill |
Brian Keogh