Banagher-born Lyons (51), who is the reigning Irish Seniors Close champion, closed with a five-under 67 to come from three behind to win the Spanish Seniors Amateur Open by four strokes at Real Club Sevilla Golf.
He headed for the airport for his flight home to Cork with his wife Vera but as neither of them could fit the silver cup in their hand luggage, he was forced to leave it at the gate to be binned later by staff.
“We got to the checkout, we had our hand luggage with us and I had the trophy,” Lyons reported. “So I went up to the desk and the staff said we couldn’t board with the trophy unless we could put it in our hand luggage.
“Vera tried to put it into her hand luggage, and she actually got it in a good bit of the way, but the zip on her luggage wouldn’t close.
“And they said, ‘No you have to be able to close all the zips’. So I said, ‘You know what folks, just leave it there. If that’s the way you want to be about it, you can keep it’.
“I kind of threw the toys out of the pram a bit. And the woman behind the desk said, ‘Well, we can’t keep it’. So I said, ‘Well do what you want with it?’
Joe Lyons after winning the Spanish Open
“She said, ‘Well, we’ll be throwing it in the bin’, so I said, ‘Well throw it in the bin then, I’m going home’ and I headed down the gangway.”
It was a disappointing end to a memorable week for former West of Ireland champion Lyons, who has become one of Irish amateur golf’s leading senior players over the past 12 months.
“It wasn’t a trophy I had to give back,” said an exhausted Lyons after his flight home and long drive back from Cork to Galway.
“It was a replica they give to each winner. It’s just that I think Ryanair should be called out for it.
“I am lucky enough that I have had a few wins down through the years and I have plenty of trophies.
“Winning yesterday, nothing will take the shine off that, to be honest. It was a very satisfying performance.
“People will say it was only a seniors event but no matter what level you play at, you want to win and to do it in the manner I did was very satisfying
“The point I was trying to make was that it could have been somebody who never won a trophy before. I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was ridiculous on their behalf.”
Ryanair has yet to reply to a request for comment.
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – February 26th
