AYRSHIRE SENIOR MEN'S MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP - Brian Fisher wins at Royal Troon

Brian Fisher (Largs) is the 2023 Ayrshire Senior Men's Matchplay Champion after he recorded a 3 & 1 win over defending champion Alistair Belford (Prestwick St Nicholas) in the final at Royal Troon on Friday evening, the 11th of August.

On a breezy evening, the foundations of victory were laid by Fisher over the opening stretch of holes where he raced to a five hole lead after six in a match where both players struggled early on to find their form.

Alistair Belford reduced the deficit to four holes with a winning par at the seventh hole, only to see Brian Fisher birdie the short par three 8th, The Postage Stamp, to restore his five hole advantage.

Undeterred, Alistair Belford took full advantage of an poor approach chip by Fisher at the ninth to win the hole and reduce the deficit again to four holes as they turned for home.  

The tenth and eleventh were exchanged with winning pars, Belford reducing the deficit to three before Fisher restored the lead to four.

The match then sprung to life over the next three holes. A three putt by Fisher at the 12th allowed Belford to start a run of three holes won in succession, a solid four at the thirteenth and a fine eight foot putt for a par three at the 14th giving him those two holes and reducing the match score to a single hole in Brian Fisher's favour after 14 holes.

The momentum in the match seemed to be with the defending champion by this stage, but the turning point came at the 15th hole when both players were through the green in two. Belford chipped up to six feet from the hole, but missed his par putt while Fisher's chip finished three feet from the hole and he holed his putt for a winning par four to halt the slide and restore a two hole advantage with three to play.

With an increasingly strong breeze to contend with, both players were short of the burn at the 16th from the tee, from where Belford found a greenside bunker and Fisher saw his approach finish short of the green. Both players took three further shots to hole out for a half in par five's and Fisher moved to dormie two.

Both players were long at the par three 17th from the tee, with Belford finding heavy rough while Fisher's ball pulled up just short of the heavy grass. Alistair Belford did well to get his second on the green but after Brian Fisher chipped up to eighteen inches from the hole in two, Alistair Belford's putt for a three failed to drop and he gracefully conceded the match and the title to Brian Fisher with a 3&1 match score.

At the conclusion of the final, and the two Champion of Champions finals held the same evening, Ayrshire Golf Association President Scott Gilchrist presented vouchers to both finalists before handing over the Iain Harvey Trophy to to 2023 Ayrshire Senior men's Matchplay Champion, brian Fisher.