Southport and Ainsdale’s Jack McPhail invariably challenges for honours when he plays in the Apeiron Northern Order of Merit and his long game was on point as he won The Henriques Trophy at Hesketh yesterday.
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play
Last year the 21-year-old won the Pleasington Antlers and was second at Hesketh on his way to finishing in a tie for seventh in the overall standings.
This year McPhail, who was part of the Lancashire side that won the County Championship in 2022, has raised the bar again, notably finishing second at The Portuguese Amateur in February.
In the opening Northern Order of Merit event at West Lancashire he was runner-up to county team-mate Jack Brooks (The Mere) but, yesterday at The Southport venue, he hit every green in regulation as he closed out a three-shot victory with a four-under 68.
“I hit it really well in the second round,” said McPhail, who this week plays in The Irish Men’s Amateur Open at The Island. It starts on Wednesday and features virtually all of GB’s leading players.
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“All-round it went pretty well. On the back nine in the first round I wasn’t so good in terms of ball striking but managed to get up and down a few times.”
In 2022 McPhail finished second at Hesketh behind Bolton’s Matthew Lever but this time around was not to be denied. The victory also moved him up to second in the overall standings.
At halfway he trailed leader Alfie Oakes (Congleton) by three but stepped on the gas when it really mattered, starting his back nine with four birdies in the row.
At the 10th he cut the corner to great effect and left himself just 40 yards in, pitching to five feet. Next up he drilled an eight iron to three feet at the par three and the short irons were again doing their job at the 12th, where he sent a nine-iron approach to five feet. With the short par five to follow, McPhail was not going to miss out as he found the front of the green in two and two putted.
The only downside of the day were three putts on four, six and 16 – his three bogeys in the afternoon. But he rounded things off in style, knocking his second to the front edge of the par five and again lagging his eagle putt up well, before cosying in a four-footer for his seventh birdie of the round.
Royal Birkdale’s Greg Holmes birdied four of the last six holes to claim second while Oakes had to settle for fourth after a second-round 76. Formby’s Tom Hughes grabbed third after opening with a bogey-free 70 and then following it up with a more eventful 72.