AYRSHIRE WOMEN'S MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP - Audrey Thompson and Rachel McCready to contest inaugural final.

The final of the inaugural competition for the Ayrshire Women's Matchplay Championship will be contested on Wednesday the 26th of June at Rowallan Castle GC between Audrey Thompson (Loudoun) and Rachel McCready (Largs), following completion of the semi final matches on Tuesday evening.

The first semi final matches Audrey Thompson with Lynsie Bulloch (Irvine). Thompson forged a three hole lead after seven but was pegged back at the eighth by Bulloch who kept in te match during the inward half but never quite managed to get back on to level terms, despite winning an eventful thirteenth hole to reduce the defecit again to two holes with five to play, and further reducing Thompson's lead to a single hole after the sixteenth. Despite the fightback, Thompson held her nerve and a fine tee shot at the seventeenth to the centre of the green set up a winning par three for Thompson after Bulloch just failed to hole her par putt, and ultimately it was Audrey Thompson who saw out the tie and booked her place in the final with a 2&1 win.

In the second semi final, featuring Debbie Watt (Ayr Belleisle Ladies) and Rachel McCready (Largs), it was McCready who took the early lead by winning the first and by the fifth she had extended her lead to two holes. Watt however fought back to square the match at the turn and took the lead after an excellent wedge shot from the left of the green set up a winning par three, when McCready failed to get up and down from the right greenside bunker.

McCready then edged in front by one hole after thirteen holes and also won the fourteenth to go two up with four holes to play. after halving the fifteenth, McCready closed out the match by winning the sixteenth for a 3&2 victory.

The championship final on Wednesday evening, the 26th of June, tees off at Rowallan Castle GC at 5.00 p.m.