Poppleton looking to defend Lee Westwood Trophy after fine show at English amateur

WATH'S Nick Poppleton will start the defence of the Lee Westwood Trophy at Rotherham on Tuesday buoyed by his recent performance in the English men's amateur championship.
Defending champion Nick Poppleton (Wath) plays during a practice round for the Lee Westwood Trophy at Rotherham watched by Moortown's Ben Firth (Picture: Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs).Defending champion Nick Poppleton (Wath) plays during a practice round for the Lee Westwood Trophy at Rotherham watched by Moortown's Ben Firth (Picture: Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs).
Defending champion Nick Poppleton (Wath) plays during a practice round for the Lee Westwood Trophy at Rotherham watched by Moortown's Ben Firth (Picture: Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs).

Poppleton reached the semi-finals at The Berkshire, losing by just one hole to eventual winner Todd Clements (Braintree).

And this narrow defeat was effectively caused by penalty shots applied to his scores at the first two holes after the Yorkshire county player noticed he had left a training club in his bag.

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Last year Poppleton overcame the disappointment of being overhauled in the final round of the Yorkshire amateur championship at Moortown by Ben Hutchinson (Howley Hall) to win the Lee Westwood Trophy, South Yorkshire’s highest profile amateur competition.

He will hope to do likewise this week in the 13th staging of the event that has attracted a field of 141 players from around the region and beyond.

2015 winner Sam Haywood will be attempting to etch his name on the trophy for the second time when he returns to his home course after a period acting as Danny Willett’s caddie.

He took Willett’s bag in May after the 2016 Masters champion parted company with then caddie Jonathan Smart, who will also be competing in the Westwood.

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Another Tour caddie, Steve Brotherton, bag man for David Howell, will also be teeing it up.

The Lee Westwood Trophy, one of England’s top amateur events, is officially titled the Rotherham Golf Club Open Stroke play Championship, and is a World Amateur Golf Ranking PING/EGU order of merit 72-hole event. The prizes are traditionally presented by Westwood's mother, Trish.