The 2021 Ayrshire Champion of Championsh Trophy final will be between two former winners, after Steven McEwan (Caprington) and Paul Denim (Loudoun) woun through their semi final matches on Friday the 6th of August at Royal Troon.
The semi finals wee not blessed with the fine weather that has prevailed recently, with both matches benig played in wet and testing conditions.
In the first semi final, Steven McEwan, who previously won the title in 2012 and 2013, was up against the title holder, 2019 winner Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle).
Steven took the lead at the first with a conceded birdie three and increased his advantage with a birdie two at the 194 yard, par three, fifth hole. When Craig bogeyed the long sixth, Steven went three ahead but he returned the compliment by bogeying the seventh to let Craig reduce the deficit to two, before Steven then birdied the par four ninth hole to establish a three hole lead at the turn. Steven extended his lead further at the eleventh, the Railway Hole, with a conceded birdie three and although Craig took the twelfth with a birdie three, Steven restored his four hole lead by winning the thirteenth with a par. Craig was not going to let his title slip without a fight and despite the deficit he delayed the eventual outcome by halving the fourteenth in birdies twos, before a par four at the fifteenth was enough for Steven to take the hole and secure a 5&3 victory in the match.
The second semi final featured the 2018 winner Paul Denim (Loudoun) and Gordon Munro (Caprington), who was appearing at this stage of the championship for the first time.
Paul took the lead with a birdie at the first and pars at the fourth and fifth were sufficient to allow him to establish a three hole advantage. A birdie four at the sixth hole saw Gordon reduce the deficit to two holes, and the players matched each other in the closing three holes of the outward half to turn for home with Paul two holes ahead. Gordon won the tenth to reduce Paul's lead to one and a conceded birdie three at the twelfth for Gordon brought the match back to all square.Paul went behind for the first, and only, time in the match at the fifteenth when a par four was good enough to put Gordon ahead but par figures at both the sixteenth and seventeenth were enough for Paul to take both, and turn a one hole deficit into a one hole lead with one hole to play. At the final hole, a conceded birdie three was enough to establish a two hole win in the match and secure a place in the final for the second time in the last three championships
The final takes place, back at at Royal Troon, on Friday the 13th of August with a 5.00 p.m. tee off.
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