Elm Park’s Jake Foley is the best of the Irish after the opening day of the 58th Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Foley is one-over-par after a 71 and is four shots off the early lead set by Walker Cup star James Ashfield (Wales) and Lytham member Jamie Van Wyk.
Foley recovered from a horror start where he double bogeyed the 2nd and bogeyed the third before a bogey on 8 left him reeling at four-over.
However, three birdies in a row from the 11th kickstarted his round and he got back to level-par with a birdie on 16 but handed it back on 17 to sign for +1.
His namesake, Hugh, is a shot further back after a 72 which included a closing double bogey which will no doubt sting while Royal Dublin’s Jack McDonnell is also on plus two.
Matthew McClean and Jack Hearn are both six shots off the lead on three-over while Liam Abom, David Shiel and John Doyle are two shots further back after rounds of 75.
Shane McDermott is six-over while a host of big Irish names like Colm Campbell, Caolan Rafferty and Sean Keeling all struggled.
Scoring HERE