England’s Joshua McMahon has thrust himself into the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team reckoning Sunday by winning the Lytham Trophy.
The member of Wallasey Golf Club near Liverpool took the prestigious title by one shot over three players after compiling scores of 71, 73, 73 and 71 for an 8-over 288. Austria’s Gerold Folk, and English players Jack Brooks and Harry Goddard shared second.
McMahon wasn’t in the recently named 30-man squad from which most of 10 GB&I players will be selected to face the United States at Royal Liverpool September 7-8. However, GB&I captain Craig Watson and his team of selectors will be watching the McMahon with interest for the rest of the summer after his victory in one of Europe’s strongest amateur events.
Team selection isn’t confined to the 30 squad members. Watson has said he will go outside the squad to select in-form players in the run-up to the match. Danny Willett played his way onto 2007 GB&I Walker Cup team despite not being named in the original squad.
McMahon arrived at Royal Liverpool ranked 384th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, so it was no surprise he wasn’t in the Walker Cup squad. However, the Englishman tamed the tough Open venue better than the rest. Average scores for the field over the par-70 layout were 76, 77, 76 and 77. Only eight players broke par in all four rounds, which is nothing new for the Lytham Trophy.
Of the 16 GB&I squad players in the field, eight missed the cut, while England’s Bailey Gill posted a T6 finish.
