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ROBINSON ENDS LANCASHIRE'S LONG WAIT FOR LYTHAM SUCCESS
5th May 2009

Lancashire's James Robinson, a member of the England �A' Squad, upstaged an international field to win the Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham and St Anne's.

James Robinson (Photo Tom Ward)

The 20 year old from Southport & Ainsdale (photo courtesy of Tom Ward) carded a closing round of 70 for 287 to finish a shot ahead of Welshman Ben Westgate and three clear of four players including fellow Lancastrian Jack Senior and full international Dale Whitnell from Essex, the halfway leader.

Robinson's win was his biggest to date but he arrived in Lytham in a rich vein of form having finished second in the Southport & Ainsdale Bowl and third in the Hampshire Hog. He is also the first Lancastrian to win the Lytham Trophy since Michael Walls in 1985.

Having finished ahead of several Walker Cup contenders, Robinson is not dismissing his own chances of making the line-up to face the United States at Merion in September. �That would be a dream come true but I realise I must take my form to the Amateur Championship at Formby next month to improve my chances,� he said.

Robinson, whose last noteworthy success was losing to eventual champion Danny Willett in the English Amateur Championship two years ago, held his nerve over the closing stretch in a tense finale. He crucially saved his par on the last hole after missing the green with his approach before pitching to six feet from the semi-rough.

His seven-over-par total was an indication of how tough the course played, last year's runner-up Whitnell missing the chance to force a playoff when he bogeyed two of the last three holes.

Leading final scores:
287 J Robinson (Southport & Ainsdale) 72 72 73 70
288 B Westgate (Trevose) 73 73 72 70
290 J Senior (Heysham) 74 71 75 70
290 W Booth (Comrie) 70 75 74 71
290 S Lowry (Esker Hills) 66 76 75 73
290 D Whitnell (Five Lakes) 68 72 75 75
291 A Kaleka (France) 74 74 73 70
291 F Keenan (Sunningdale) 76 70 74 71
291 S Hodgson (Sunningdale) 73 70 74 74-