AYRSHIRE JUNIOR CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS - Ryan Kennedy wins 2023 title

Ryan Kennedy (Loudoun) is the 2023 Ayrshire Junior Champion of Champions following victory over Jack Broadfoot (Troon Welbeck) in the final played at Ayr Belleisle on Friday the 18th of August.

The match between the two Ayrshire county under 18 team members was close throughout was played in the most sporting manner. 

After the opening hole was halved the next three were shared with winning pars, Ryan winning the second and fourth and Jack the third to leave Ryan one up at that stage. Ryan had a chance to increase his lead at the fifth but his twelve foot birdie putt lipped out.

Jack leveled the match with a winning par at the sixth but Ryan restored his advantage at the next hole, holing from ten feet for a winning birdie.

At the eighth hole Jack holed from ten feet to half the hole but at the next a par was good enough for Ryan to increase his lead to two holes as the players turned for home. 

Three of the first four holes in the inward half were halved in pars, but at the eleventh a par was good enough for jack to win the hole and reduce the deficit to a single hole once more, and despite going long with his tee shot at the fourteenth, jack holed from twelve feet for a half to remain just one behind.

An eight foot putt for a half at the fifteenth by Ryan maintained his slim advantage with three holes to play.

At the sixteenth Jack found trouble off the fairway on the left from the tee in the long rough while Ryan found the fairway with his tee shot. Jack found and played a Titleist 4 ball back to the fairway but as he left the rough another similar ball was found just a few feet away, which was subsequently identified as Jack's ball, resulting in him losing the hole for playing a wrong ball.

At the par three seventeenth, Ryan closed out the match, holing from a few feet for a half in par threes to take the title with a 2&1 victory.

At the conclusion of the match the Ayrshire Junior Champion of Champions Trophy was handed over by Ayrshire Golf Association executive member and Ayrshire Under 18 team co manager Andrew Reid to the 2023 champion, Ryan Kennedy.