Foley improves Walker Cup chances with fourth as Kennedy wins Lytham Trophy
Hugh Foley watches his tee shot on hole nine during the second round of stroke play at the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Steven Gibbons/USGA)
Frank Kennedy won the Lytham Trophy to boost his chances of a Walker Cup call-up, but so too did Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley after finishing tied fourth at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
With Fanny Sunneson on his bag, Florida-based Englishman Kennedy fired rounds of 70-68-68-72 for a 2-under-par total of 278 to earn a two-stroke victory over Welshman James Ashfield and Spaniard Luis Masaveu at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
Kennedy, who plays out of Trump National Jupiter, is one of 19 players in the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup panel for September's match at St Andrews.
Ashfield is also a member of the GB&I squad, while Foley, who has recently failed to make the Irish teams for the Eisenhower Trophy and the European Nations Cup, let his clubs do the talking at Lytham.
He was in danger of missing the cut at six-over par through 12 holes of his opening round but birdied three of the next four holes and scrambled a 74.
He then played superbly from there, carding rounds of 68, 71 and 69 to finish tied for fourth on two-over.
"It was a great fightback after being outside the eventual cut after 12 holes," said Foley, who is now looking forward to some Senior Cup golf and next week's Flogas Irish Amateur Open at The Island. "I plotted around really well with Jake Hapgood caddying. Great to play well after no golf last week."
It was Kennedy's second win in the last 14 months, following his wire-to-wire, four-shot victory at the Portuguese International Amateur Championship in February 2022, when he set a 72-hole scoring record for the championship at 19-under.
Castle's Robert Moran, another member of the 19-man GB & I panel, tied for eighth on eight-over after steady rounds of 72-72-73-71.
