Lytham Trophy overshadowed by tragedy

The tragic death of rising star Ben Enoch in a car crash has overshadowed this week's Lytham Trophy.

According to agency reports, the 19-year old Wales international died when his car left the road and crashed through a fence as he made his way to Royal Lytham on Thursday

Ben EnochHe suffered fatal injuries when his Peugeot 306 smashed into a trailer being used as a storage unit near the A40 at Whitchurch, Herefordshire, shortly before 0800 BST.

Richard Dixon, the chief executive of the Golf Union of Wales, described the death of the teenager as heartbreaking.

In a statement, Dixon said: "Our thoughts are with the family at this terribly sad time.

"Ben was one of the most promising golfers in Wales, a bright and vibrant personality in our teams.

"He had a chance of getting into the Walker Cup team this season, such was his talent, and would surely have represented Great Britain and Ireland at some stage before enjoying a career in professional golf.

"He had such a bright future ahead of him."

Enoch was runner-up in the Welsh Amateur Championship last summer and was due to go to the United States later in the year to take up a golf scholarship at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), where his older brother, Rhys, and Ireland's Seamus Power and Paul O'Kane are students.

"All of us associated with the ETSU Golf Team, and in the entire Athletics Program, are devastated by Ben's death this morning,” said ETSU head coach Fred Warren.

“He not only was an internationally ranked golfer with an unlimited future in the game, he was an outstanding young man and student. We were looking forward to Ben being on our team next year as much as he was looking forward to joining our team, and playing alongside his older brother, Rhys.

"My heart goes out to Ben's parents and Rhys, and all who knew this terrific young man. This is a sad day in the world of golf and Ben will be sorely missed by all of us who knew him."

West Mercia Constabulary has appealed for witnesses to the accident, which did not involve any other vehicle.

A police spokesman said: "The collision occurred on the eastbound carriageway of the A40 just before the Symonds Yat turn-off when a green Peugeot motor car left the road to the nearside whilst negotiating a sweeping left-hand curve.

"The vehicle travelled through a fence onto private property and collided with a lorry trailer being used as a storage unit."

Anyone who saw the collision or the Peugeot being driven along the A40 between Monmouth and the crash site is asked to contact PC Dean Smith at Hereford police station on 0300 333 3000.

Ireland's Shane Lowry, Niall Kearney, Dara Lernihan, Andrew Hogan, Cian Curley and Paul Cutler will tee it up at Royal Lytham on Friday as the race to make September's Walker Cup team begins in earnest.