Monday, September 17, 2007

AYRSHIRE JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE - Ballochmyle win eighth title at Barassie


Ballochmyle are the 2007 Ayrshire Junior Golf League champions, after an exciting final on Sunday 16th September at Kilmarnock (Barassie), where they triumphed by 3.5 - 2.5 against first time finalists, Largs. The Mauchline club succesfully defended the title they won against Ayr Belleisle over Troon darley last year, to record their eighth win in the League Championship in its 39 year history.
After torrential rain in the morning, only a sterling effort by Kilmarnock (Barassie) staff and members, and in particular League Chairman Mark Fitzpatrick, allowed the match to go ahead.

With a number of holes on the new part of the Barassie links under water, the final was played over the traditional 18 hole course.

Largs were giving shots in all of the six ties against the defending champions, but it was the North Ayrshire club who took the early lead, Josh Nordbo, with a 7 & 5 win over Robbie Wilson, and Andrew Abercrombie, beating Gary Patterson by 2 & 1, giving Largs an early 2 - 0 lead.

The defecit was reduced to 2 - 1 when Michael Mullen beat Colin Robinson by 4 & 3 and a 6 & 5 win by Paul Pierotti of Ballochmyle over Dave McLellan levelled the match at 2 - 2.

With the penultimate tie between Ballochmyle's Craig Duff and Jack Went of Largs going to the final hole, a 2 & 1 win by Colin McKay over Robbie Dow in the final tie gave Ballochmyle a 3 - 2 lead, and also ensured the return of the championship to the Mauchline club, as Largs could not match Ballochmyle's countback total, even in the event of a win in the last tie on the course.

Ballochmyle's hopes for an outright win lay with Craig Duff who stood on the 18th tee one down against Jack Went.

After a poor tee shot and second shot, Duff took five to reach the green, whilst Went was in the greenside bunker in 2. The Largs player had great difficulty extracating himself from the sand however, taking three shots in the bunker before gettign onto the green. Went's agonise were compounded when he missed his putt for a six and Duff duly holed his for a winnign double bogey to half the tie and give Ballochmyle a clear 3.5 - 2.5 win in the Championship final.
MATCH DETAILS (Ballochmyle names first)
Gary Patterson (5) lost to Andrew Abercrombie (2) by 3 & 1
Michael Mullen (6) beat Colin Robinson (4) by 4 & 3
Robbie Wilson (7) lost to Josh Nordbo (5) by 7 & 5
Paul Pierotti (9) beat Dave McLellan (6) by 6 & 5
Craig Duff (11) halved with Jack went (10)
Colin McKay (14) beat Robbie Dow (12) by 2 & 1
BALLOCHMYLE 3.5 LARGS 2.5

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