The teams from Ayrshire and Lanarkshire got off to the best possible start in week one of the West of Scotland Inter County A and Youtsh leagues on Sunday the 15th of September, winning their respective matches in both competitions.
In the A league Ayrshire began their title challenge with a 3.5 - 2.5 home win over the newly crowned Scottish Area team Champions renfrewshire at Prestwick St Cuthbert GC.
In a tight match under the revised A league format, with four singles matches and two foursomes, Ayrshire won two of the singles and crucially took one and a half points from two in the foursomes ties.
Match details (Ayrshire names first);
Harvey Broadfoot (Troon Welbeck) beat paul Dorrian (Greenock) by 271
Graeme Gimson (Prestwick St Cuthbert) lost to Stewart watt (Old ranfurly) by 1 hole
John Shanks (Irvine) beat Jack Crawford (Williamwood) by 1 hole
Gavin Chesney (Kilbirnie Place) lost to Ricardo Dimurro (Greenock) by 1 hole
Steven Stamper (Turnberry) & Aidan Long (Ayr Belleisle) halved with Andrew farmer (Kilmacolm) & Ryan Brown (Kilmacolm)
Blair Morton (Royal Troon) & Scott Brown (Prestwick St Cuthbert) beat martin paton (Gleddoch) & Graham Barr (Gleddoch) by 4&3
AYRSHIRE 3.5 RENFREWSHIRE 2.5
Lanarkshire were at home to Glasgow at Wishaw in their opening A league fixture, running out winners by 4.5 - 1.4
Match details (Lanarkshire names first);
G McLeatchie (Lanark) lost to M McRae by 6&5
D Burt (Bellshill) beat A Waugh by 4&3
C Connacher (Wishaw) beat C Hogg by 574
G Watson (Hamilton) halved with S Rettie
G Andrews & K McVicar beat G Sangster & J McLeish by 8&6
D Farr & S MacPherson beat G Telfer & S Wearing by 2 holes
LANARKSHIRE 4.5 GLASGOW 1.5
In the other A league match Stirlingshire had a 5 - 1 home win over Dumbartonshire at Grangemouth.
Match details (Stirlingshire names first);
Mark Hislop (Glenbervie) lost to Andy Campbell (Dumbarton) by 3&1
Stuart Murray (Falkirk) beat Ian McCalman (Clober) by 1 hole
Thomas Beattie (Grangemouth) beat Gavin Roger (Clober) by 3&2
Craig McGann (Dunblane) beat James McKechnie (Carrick) by 4&3
Calum Bauchop (Glenbervie) & Thomas Morrison (Kilsyth) beat Craig Bissett (Dumbarton & Chris Clark Bearsden) by 2&1
Greg McLellan (Stirling) & Ed Shannly (Stirling) beat Stuart McDermid (Kirkintilloch) & Greg halket (Kirkintilloch) by 2&1
STRILINGSHIRE 5 DUMBARTONSHIRE 1
Present positions in the A league are;
Area
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Diff
|
Pts
|
STIRLINGSHIRE
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
+4
|
4
|
LANARKSHIRE
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
4.5
|
1.5
|
+3
|
4
|
AYRSHIRE
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3.5
|
2.5
|
+1
|
4
|
RENFREWSHIRE
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2.5
|
3.5
|
-1
|
0
|
GLASGOW
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1.5
|
4.5
|
-3
|
0
|
DUMBARTONSHIRE
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
-4
|
0
|
In the Youths League Ayrshire opened their defence of the trophy and title they won in 2023 with a good 5 - 3 away win over Renfrewshire at Fereneze.
Match details (Renfrewshire names first);
Ewan Urquhart (Paisley) lost to jamie hay (Ayr Belleisle) by 3&2
Drew Cleaver (Fereneze) lost to Dylan cairns (Royal Troon) by 4&2
Kenan Graham (Greenock) beat Jamie Robertson (Loudoun) by 4&3
James Wiseman (Fereneze) lost to Liam Moran (Irvine) by 5&4
Jack Tourish (Elderslie) lost to Aidan hay (Irvine) by 2&1
Lewis Greenlees (Paisley) beat Mason Chisholm (Irvine) by 2&1
Neil Rainey (Erskine) beat Rob Yorston (Loudoun) by 2&1
Nathan Love (Greenock) lost to Ryan Kennedy (Irvine) by 3&2
RENFREWSHIRE 3 AYRSHIRE 5
Lanarkshire completed the double over Glasgow with a 5.5 - 2.5 away win in the youths fixture played at Sandyhills GC.
Match details (Glasgow names first);
Philip Devine (Cowlgen) halved with Scott Thomson (Drumpellier)
Chris McMillan (Bishopbriggs) lost to Luke Robertson (East Kilbride) by 4&3
Josh White (Bishopbriggs) lost to Euan Bogle (Lanark) by 2&1
John Hamilton (Cathkin Braes) beat Rudi Brown (Torrance House) b y 4&3
Joseph Lynch (Ralston) beat Ben Patterson (Bellshill) by 2&1
Max Welsh (Cathkin Braes) lost to Cameron meldrum (East Kilbride) by 6&4
Sean Falconer (Cowglen ) lost to Gabriel Burns (Bothwell castle) by 4&3
Ali Riddell (Lanark) had a walkover in the final tie
GLASGOW 2.5 LANARKSHIRE 5.5
In the other Youths league fixture played on week one, Dumbartonshire had a 4.5 - 3.5 home win over Stirlingshire at Dullatur.
Match details (Dumbartonshire names first);
Sam Somerville beat Liam McKinnon (Glenbervie) by 1 hole
David Hood halved with Ross Hollis (Falkirk)
Grant Wilson beat Max McClymont (Grangemouth) by 372
Ollie Renton beat Ryan Thompson (Falkirk) by 2 holes
Stewart Forrest (lost to Isaac King (Dunblane) by 4&2
Kyle Caskey beat Jack Maxwell (Bonnybridge) by 4&3
Alex Victor lost to Robbie Stewart (Kilsyth) by 4&2
David Gilmour lost to Reuben brown (Balfron) by 5&4
DUMBARTONSHIRE 4.5 STIRLINGSHIRE 3.5
Present positions in the Youths league after week one are;
Area
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Diff
|
Pts
|
LANARKSHIRE
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
5.5
|
2.5
|
+3
|
4
|
AYRSHIRE
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
3
|
+2
|
4
|
DUMBARTONSHIRE
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
4.5
|
3.5
|
+1
|
4
|
STIRLINGSHIRE
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3.5
|
4.5
|
-1
|
0
|
RENFREWSHIRE
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
-2
|
0
|
GLASGOW
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2.5
|
5.5
|
-3
|
0
|
The five week series of matches continues next Sunday, 22nd September, and concludes on Sunday the 13th of October.