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Lockerbie's 67 clinches Lytham

By Alistair Tate

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, ENGLAND - Gary Lockerbie penciled his name onto the Great Britain S Ireland Walker Cup team with an Impressive victory in She Lytham Trophy May 1,

Lockerbie's final-round 67. Three under par, was good enough for a four-round total of 8-under 276 and a one-shot victory over Germany 's Florian Fritsch.

The 22-year-old England international is already a member of the Walker Cup squad, but is certain to make the final 10-man team that travels to Chicago Golf Club for the match against the United States Aug. 13-14.

"The Walker Cup has been my ambition all year before I turn professional," Lockerbie said, "Hopefully this has put my name forward."

His chances of not making the Chicago trip are extremely low. The last British or Irish player lo win the Lytham trophy In a Walker Cup year and not make the team is Tommy McLure in 1993- Every other player has made the team.

The Penrith, England , native was three shots behind Fritsch with eight holes to play, but he birdied 11, 12 and 16 to take the title. However, the key to victory was a par at the tough 4S7-yard, par-4 15th,

The hole played into the prevailing wind in the final round and played more like a par 5, Lockerbie's second shot finished 60 yards short of the green, in deep rough, but he managed to get up and down for par.

"I struggled on the 15th all week," he said. "but I was fortunate to find a good lie in the rough and managed to get the ball to four feet and save par. That was key."

Lockerbie will add quite a bit of grit to the GB &. I side Already this year he has won the Sunnlngdale Foursomes and finished ninth at the South African Open. Last year he won a professional tournament, the Northumberland & Durham Open, and two years ago he won the English Amateur.

The 15th hole was also crucial to Fritsch's fate. The 19-year-old bogeyed the hole after driving into a fairway bunker on the right side of the fairway. He could only advance the ball 60 yards and then failed to save par.

Fritsch led the tournament by a stroke going into the final round after firing a 67 in the morning. However, his 70 was just not good enough to deny Lockerbie the biggest win of his amateur career.

"I played the first two rounds with Gary and he is a good winner." Fritsch said. "I gave myself a chance to win and that's all I can ask. When I look at myself in the mirror tonight! can honestly say, 'You played well, Florian,'"

Fritsch graduates from high school this summer and then heads to the United States to play for Puggy Blackman's University of South Carolina team. The native of Heidelberg impressed Blackman with his play In the British Boys Championship at Carnoustie three years ago, and Blackman wasted no time in offering him a full scholarship.

Scores and relation to par following the Lytham Trophy, played April 29-May 1 at the par-71, 6,882-yard Royal Lytham & St. Annee Golf Club:

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