Ayrshire will play defending champions, The North East District, in the semi finals of the 2011 Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championships being held at Prestwick and Prestwick St Nicholas golf clubs this weekend.

Ayrshire edged into the semi finals by a single stroke from Lanarkshire to set up a repeat of the 2010 semi final, which was narrowly won by the North East.

The Ayrshire team of Michael Smyth (Royal Troon), Gary Bryden (Girvan), John Haggarty (Loudoun) and the Kilmarnock (Barassie) trio of Jack McDonald, Euan Brown and Jamie Mackay saw their best five from six scores over each course combine for a team total of 747, giving them the fourth place, just one shot behind third placed Fife.

Fife will now face 2010 semi finalists Lothians who took second place in the qualifying on 735, behind the defending champions North East who posted a team total of 718.

There will be one foursome and four singles ties in the morning semi finals on Sunday over the Prestwick GC course, with the winners progressing to the final in the afternoon and the losing semi finalists playing off for the bronze medal.

QUALIFIERS SCORING DETAILS

NORTH-EAST 366 + 352 = 718
142 - Kris Nicol 72 70
143 - Adam Dunton 76 67, Jordan Findlay 72 71
146 - David Law 74 72
149 - Scott Larkin 77 72
151 - Philip McLean 72 79

LOTHIANS 374 + 361 = 735
142 - Myles Cunningham 74 68
144 - Allyn Dick 72 72, Grant Forrest 74 70
152 - Stephen Simants 77 75
155 - Malcolm Campbell 79 76
157 - Graham Robertson 77 80

FIFE 380 + 366 = 746
146 - Brian Souter 76 70
147 - Scott Crichton 73 74
149 - Scott Stewart-Cation 76 73, James White 75 74
155 - Kevin Blyth 80 75
165 - Peter Latimer 85 79

AYRSHIRE 383 + 364 = 747
146 - Jack McDonald 76 70
148 - Michael Smyth 74 74
150 - Jamie Mackay 76 74
152 - John Haggarty 80 72
153 - Gary Bryden 77 76
160 - Euan Brown 86 74

OTHER TOTALS

748 - LANARKSHIRE
752 - RENFREWSHIRE
757 - ANGUS
762 - GLASGOW, CLACKMANNANSHIRE, NORTH
764 - SOUTH
766 - STIRLINGSHIRE
767 - PERTH and KINROSS
771 - DUMBARTONSHIRE
798 - BORDERS
808 - ARGYLL & BUTE