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Saturday, September 09, 2023

SCOTTISH MEN'S AREA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - Ayrshire fight back against Fife to secure final spot.

 

Ayrshire fought back in the afternoon singles to overcome Fife in the semi final of the Scottish Men's Area Team Championship  at Paisley and book their place in Sunday's final against Lothians.

Blair Morton set the fightback rolling with a 4&3 win over Marcus Rickard to level the match score at 2-2 but all the remaining five singles matches remained very close throughout, with four of the five being decided on the final green.

Fife edged 3-2 ahead in the match when John Shanks was narrowly defeated by a single hole against former professional and three times Scottish Professional Champion Chris Kelly, but again Ayrshire hit back to level the match when Steven Stamper, who had been three down after five holes against former Scottish Boys' Champion James White, came to the final hole all square before winning a crucial point with a winning par four at the last.

Scott Brown, who was up against Walker Cup player and former professional Jimmy Mullen, was two ahead with two to play but despite losing the 17th brown held out down the last to win the hole with a par four, his two hole victory putting Ayrshire ahead in the overall match by 4 - 3

With just two ties remaining on the course, Craig Hamilton was defeated 2&1 by another former professional and winner on the challenge tour, George Murray, leaving the match score tied 4-4 with just one tie remaining to be settled.

Step forward former Scottish internationalist and Scottish Amateur Championship runner up Steven McEwan whose winning par four on the final hole completed a single hole victory over current Scotland internationalist Andrew Davidson to take Ayrshire into the final with a 5-4 match win.  

In the other semi final Lothians beat Lanarkshire 5-1 in the singles to reach the final with a 6-3 match score.




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