AYRSHIRE MEN'S MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP - first county title win for Kevin Thomas

Kevin Thomas (Prestwick St Cuthbert) is the 2023 Ayrshire Men's Matchplay Champion with a win in an excellent final, played in perfect golfing conditions, at Loudoun Gowf Club on Thursday the 11th of May.

In the final Thomas faces Blair Morton (Royal Troon) who lost out at the same stage 12 months ago.

A good up and down from the back of the green at the opening hole by Morton, holing from 5 feet for a half in par was followed by two holes halved in regulation pars, before Thomas took the lead for the first time at the fourth hole where he almost holed his tee shot before holing from 10 feet for a winning birdie two.

When Thomas found the burn from the tee at the par five fifth, Morton took full advantage, hitting the green in two and two putting for a winning birdie four to level the match score.

Both players missed the fairway to the right from the seventh tee but both showed fine skill with their approach shots, Morton hitting a low chaser under the overhanging tree branches to a yard short of the green whilst Thomas went even better, playing a fade past the trees to 7 feet from the hole. Morton chipped up to 4 feet past the hole and although Thomas' birdie putt missed the hole on the right, Morton's par effort was pulled to the left and Thomas' one hole lead was restored.

Thomas' lead was extended to two holes at the seventh after Morton found trees on the right from the tee and he saw his second shot hit a tree and rebound to the fairway where he could only salvage a bogey five, whilst Thomas played his second onto the green, some 23 feet from the hole, where he saw his birdie putt lip out, securing a winning par.

There followed a run of four holes where Tho mas showed great resilience and strength of character under increasing pressure from Morton as he tried to reduce the deficit in the match. After seeing Morton hole from 12 feet for a birdie at the eight hole, Thomas followed him in from 11 feet for a half in threes to maintain his lead, and following a bit of good fortune at the ninth, where his tee shot hit a tree in the left rough and rebounded onto the fairway, Thomas made the green in two, and after seeing Morton miss a birdie putt from 8 feet he holed a 4 foot putt for a par to stay two holes in front. Whilst Morton found the green from the tee at the 218 yard par three tenth hole, Thomas was five yards short of the green and his chip went 6 feet past the hole. Once again, after seeing Morton's birdie effort from 18 feet pull up a foot short of the hole, Thomas bravely holed his par putt to stay two holes in front. Thomas' resistance continued at the eleventh where he holed from 3 feet for a par three after both players had found the green from the tee and he had seen Morton's birdie putt from 29 feet pull up just short of the hole.

At the 12th hole Thomas' resistance over the previous run of four holes was rewarded when he increased his lead to three holes with a winning birdie three, holing from 15 feet after seeing Morton's birdie effort from just off the back of the green, some 30 feet from the hole, finish above ground on the edge of the hole.

Three holes ahead with six to play, Thomas again showed his mettle at the thirteenth after finding  trees on the left from the tee and hitting a fine second to the back left of the green, some 50 feet from the hole. Morton found the left rough from the tee and played his second to 25 feet from the pin but an excellent putt to within a foot by Thomas secured him a par four and Morton's birdie effort pulled up 18 inches short of the hole, leaving him three behind with five to play.

The fourteenth hole provided a pivotal moment in the match. After finding the fairway from the tee, Thomas' approach from 200 yards was one of the few slack shots he played all evening, being pulled left and short of the green. Morton, some 40 yards closer to the green from the tee but in the right rough hit his second to 20 feet from the hole. Under pressure to stop his lead being reduced, Thomas played an excellent chip to 4 feet which ultimately earned him a half in par fours when he holed his putt after seeing Morton's birdie effort slip past the right side of the hole.

At the short 345 yard par four fifteenth hole Morton's second shot from 130 yards found the top tier of the green, just 9 feet from the hole, but again Thomas' showed his character, his second from just a few yards closer also finding the top tier of the putting surface and coming to rest just 5 feet away from the hole. Morton did everything he could holing his putt for a birdie three but Thomas again was up to the challenge, holing his put for a half in birdies to go dormie three in the match.

By this stage of the final Thomas' had returned impressive figures of four under par for the holes played. Thomas' tee short at the 181 yard sixteenth hole found the front right part of the green, coming to rest some 35 feet from the hole, whilst Morton's tee shot was a few yards short of the right side of the putting surface. Morton chipped up to 6 feet from the hole whilst, perhaps with the match situation in mind, Thomas' birdie putt was one of the few lapses in his game on the night, pulling up well short of the hole to leave him with an 8 foot putt for his par. To Morton's credit, he holed his par putt and the match continued to the penultimate hole on the course after Thomas missed his par putt to the right of the cup.

At the 156 yard par three seventeenth, which proved to be the final hole of the final, Morton's tee shot was pulled, finishing pin high but 20 yards to the left of the green. Thomas also missed the green on the left, his ball coming to rest 4 feet off the green and above the hole and leaving him a tricky chip down the sloping green. Morton kept the pressure on, chipping his second to within 18 inches of the hole, but as he had done all evening, Thomas stepped up to the challenge, chipping his ball down to within a foot of the hole for a half in three an a win in the match by 2 & 1.

At the conclusion of the match Ayrshire Golf Association President Scott Gilchrist presented vouchers to both finalists before handing over the Ayrshire Men's Matchplay trophy, and commemorative medal, to the 2023 winner Kevin Thomas.

In winning the title Thomas becomes just the third member of Prestwick St Cuthbert GC to win the trophy following on from David Murdoch in 1982 and Craig Telfer in 2021.