Marcus Kinhult keeps rolling with Lytham Trophy win
(Photo by Andrew Pennington)
LYTHAM SAINT ANNES, England — Marcus Kinhult made it back-to-back wins on Sunday, capturing the Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham & St. Annes by eight shots. Just a week earlier, Kinhult was in the United States becoming the first international winner at the
Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.
Last week's win, Kinhult said, might have been the biggest of his career. The native of Sweden might have to revise that statement after conquering a stellar amateur field at Royal Lytham.
After opening with 68 to share a four-way lead with Cormac Sharvin, John Axelsen, and Oliver Roberts, Kinhult battled difficult playing conditions to break par for the second straight day with a 69 to hold a five-stroke lead entering Sunday, where the field would play 36 holes.
The conditions, which reigning British Amateur champion Bradley Neil called "brutal," consisted of 15-25 mile per hour winds, persistent rain, and temperatures that struggled to crawl above 50 degrees. With improved weather on Sunday, Kinhult posted 71-72 to extend his final lead to eight strokes.
Kinhult, who decided last summer to skip attending college, will likely turn professional in the 2016 calendar year.
Sharvin, one of those four first-round leaders, tied for second place with Richard James of Wales and Robin Roussel of France. James climbed into the shared runner-up position with a final-round 68 after shooting 76 in the morning round.
The aforementioned Neil, who received an invitation to the 2015 Masters due to his 2014 British Amateur victory, placed ninth at Royal Lytham.
ABOUT THE Lytham Trophy
In the early 1960s some of the senior
Members
of the Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club felt
that there was a gap in the amateur golfing
calendar and the need for a major 72 hole
scratch competition. Help was given by the
English Golf Union to launch the event and to
select entrants. The Scottish, Irish, Welsh and
County Unions and various eminent players
were approached for their support. All gave it
willingly and so was born the Lytham Trophy.
It is held each year over the Bank Holiday
Weekend at the beginning of May. It is now
played solely at Royal Lytham with one round
being played on the Friday and Saturday and
the final two rounds, for those that have made
the cut, on the Sunday.
Every winner takes away a replica for the
handsome "Sputnick" trophy which was
donated by Members subscriptions. All have
been international golfers of the highest
quality
and many have gone on to be successful
Professionals.
The entry is now of the highest calibre from
all
parts of the UK and Eire and in recent years
from all over Europe.
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