SCOTTISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP - Connie Jaffrey leads the field after day one

First round leader
Connie Jaffrey

Connie Jaffrey (Troon Ladies) leads the field after the first day of stroke play qualifying at the Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship at a gloriously sunny West Kilbride today, Tuesday 31st May.

Scottish Golf News Bulletin

Connie Jaffrey, who is a member of Troon Ladies just down the Ayrshire coast, and was runner up in this championship in 2014, did not drop a shot during her four under opening round of 69, earning her the sole lead into the second day.

Four other Scottish women’s squad players finished one shot behind: Chloe Goadby from St Regulus Ladies, Germany-based Rachael Taylor from Golf Club am Reichswald, and Carnoustie Ladies’ Ailsa Summers and Jessica Meek.

Goadby also carded four birdies on day one after bogeying the first, and further impressed with an eagle three at the third and thirteenth, but these were cancelled out by a brace of double bogeys which brought her back to three under for the day.

Among the group of players tying for sixth at two under, is the 2014 Scottish Amateur champion Gabrielle MacDonald from Craigielaw, while last year’s winner, Clara Young from North Berwick, opened with a par 73.

The field will compete over a second round of stroke play tomorrow, before the top-32 qualifiers enter the matchplay stage from Thursday. The 18-hole final is played at West Kilbride from 8.30am on Saturday morning.

The Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship was first played in 1903, and notable previous multiple winners of the title include Belle Robertson, who won seven times, and Catriona Matthew who won three.

West Kilbride last hosted the Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship when Alison Rose won in 1997. The club on the Ayrshire coast, which hosted the Scottish Boys Championship in 2014, boasts spectacular views across the Firth of Clyde to Arran.

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

West Kilbride Golf Club

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND

Par 73

69 - C Jaffrey (Troon Ladies)

70 - C Goadby (St Regulus), R Taylor (Reichswald, Germany), A Summers (Carnoustie Ladies), J Meek (Carnoustie Ladies)

71 - K McIntosh (Broomiknowe), E Briggs (Kilmacolm), G Macdonald (Craigielaw), L Whyte (St Regulus)

72 - R Walker (Dumfries and Co), T Mactaggart (Minto), C Young (North Berwick)

73 - E Watson (Muckhart), J Free (Gullane), S Leslie (Kemnay)

74 - K Beveridge (Aboyne), R Polson (Kemnay), K Brodie (Strathmore)

75 - S Wood (Drumpellier), K Marshall (Baberton), E Hale (Troon Ladies), M Stewart (Murcar Links)

76 - J Saxton (Muckhart), J Allan (Glenbervie), A McBride (Harburn)

77 - J Rankine (Haggs Castle), E Moffat (St Regulus), L Duncan (West Kilbride)

78 - L Ronnie (Kilmarnock Barassie), N Robertson (Stirling), J Mackintosh (Hazlehead)

79 - D Young (North Berwick), A Bartlett (Royal Dornoch), Katie Scott (Strathaven), G Paton (Royal Montrose)

80 - M Gardner (Linlithgow), K Reid (Monifieth), C Garrett (West Kilbride)

81 - L Fraser (Kingsknowe), C Thompson (Royal Dornoch)

82 - C Innes (Craigielaw), M Sievwright (Buckpool), A Glennie (Kilmarnock Barassie), H Scott (Broomieknowe)

83 - L Atkins (Minto), R Foster (Turnberry), M Briggs (Kilmacolm), R Hunter (Lanark), L Macdonald (Cardross), J Graham (Southerness)

85 - P Wilson (Burntisland)

87 - E O'Connot (Bothwell Castle)

88 - A McDonald (Bothwell Castle)

89 - N Callander (Welwyn Garden City), S Cameron (Gullane)

94 - C McLaughlin (West Kilbride)

95 - L Munro (Ayr Belleisle)

AYRSHIRE FOURBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - Second round matches completed

The second round matches in the 2016 Ayrshire Fourball Championships have now been completed, leaving 16 teams still hoping to lift the trophy at the end of the season.

Chris & Scott Ireland (Prestwick St Nicholas) won by 3 & 2 on their visit to play John McMillan & John Dodd (Troon Merchants) and will be at home to Greg Jarvie & David Parker (Crosshouse) in the last sixteen, the Annanhill based pairing beating near neighbours William Creevy & John Paterson (Saxone) by 5 & 3 to progress.

Single hole home wins by David Queen & Ian Riddex (West Kilbride) and David Bain & Billy Scott (New Cumnock), over Dougie McKinnon & Tommy Green (Ayr Belleisle) and Halbert & Alan Oliver (Caprington) respectively, saw these two sides through to the last sixteen, whilst Jordan Lennox & Mark McSeveney (Ballochmyle) had a home win over Stephen Wells & Gordon Storrar (Irvine) to go through and Rab McKell & Neil Cairns (Loudoun) were awarded their tie against Stephen Brown & Malcolm McAlpine (Drongan).

The complete draw for the third round matches is :-

3rd Round

Played By:- 26th June 2016

DAVID A MACDONALD & IAIN S MACDONALD

Largs

RAB MCKELL & NEIL CAIRNS

Loudoun

JORDAN LENNOX & MARK MCSEVENEY

Ballochmyle

GILBERT FERGUSON & APUL FERGUSON

Troon Welbeck

CHRISTOPHER IRELAND & SCOTT IRELAND

Prestwick St Nicholas

GREG JARVIE & DAVID PARKER

Crosshouse

ROBERT McCLURE & SCOTT BROWN

Kilbirnie Place

ANDREW MACLEOD & MARTIN O'BRIEN

Rowallan Castle

MIKE HAZLEWOOD & KEITH McKENZIE

Ayr Neptune

DAVID QUEEN & IAN RIDDEX

West Kilbride

DAVID SLOAN & JOHN BARR Jr

Doon Valley

ALEXANDER IRVINE & MARK THOMPSON

Annanhill

DAVID BAIN & BILLY SCOTT

New Cumnock

THOMAS SMITH & ROBERT THOMAS

Wallacetown

JOE THOMSON & DARREN BROWN

Skelmorlie

DOUGLAS McCORMICK & JAMIE McCRINDLE

Brunston Castle

PRESTWICK LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP - Gimson beats Telfer on final green

2016 Prestwick Links Champion
Graeme Gimson

Graeme Gimson (Prestwick St Cuthbert) beat clubmate Greg Telfer on the last green at Prestwick Golf Club on Saturday 28th May to win The Nickson Trophy and Prestwick Links title for 2016.

The final, played in perfect conditions, was close throughout with both players producing some excellent golf.

In the closing stretch, Telfer took a one hole lead at the twelfth with a superb eagle three, but an impressive second shot to the difficult thirteenth green, followed by two putts for a par, was good enough for Gimson to square the match again after Telfer narrowly failed to get up and down from short right of the green for par.

Gimson's fightback was further boosted after finding a bunker short of the fourteenth green from the tee, when he hit an excellent bunker shot to set up a winning birdie three, to lead by one going into the closing loop.

Gimson looked favourite to win the fifteenth after finding the centre of the green in two whilst Telfer was through the green and struggling for par. Gimson's birdie putt slipped past the hole by four feet, and although Telfer failed to convert his par effort, Gimson's putt to take a two hole lead horshoed round the hole and failed to drop.

A half in par at the sixteenth left Gimson one up with two to play and again he found the green at the seventeenth in two, only to squander a chance to take the title with a three putt at the crucial moment, to give Telfer the chance to square the match and take it to extra holes of he could win the last.

At the final hole both players were left of the fairway from the tee, but whilst Gimson was clear of trouble, Telfer found his ball in a difficult position just inside the left lip of a bunker. Gimson chipped on to twelve feet from the hole whilst Telfer played a great bunker shot under the circumstances, to find the green. Despite a brave attempt, Telfers' birdie putt turned just right of the hole at the end and remained above ground, leaving Gimson with two putts for the title.

Making no mistake this time, Gimson holed his birdie putt on the final green for a two hole victory to win the Nickson Trophy and the totle of 2016 Prestwick Links Champion

AYRSHIRE SCRATCH LEAGUES - Opening win for Kilmarnock (Barassie)

All five divisions in the Ayrshire Scratch leagues are now in progress with a number of matches being played recently.

The Kilmarnock (Barassie) team who won their opening league fixture of 2016

In DIVISION 1, Loudoun still lead the table following a narrow 3.5 – 2.5 home win over defending champions Irvine, however Kilmarnock (Barassie) got their season off to a great start with a 4.5 – 1.5 home win over Loudoun in their opening fixture.

In the other match played recently, Ballochmyle shared the spoils with their visitors Turnbery in a 3 – 3 draw.

Present positions in Division 1 are :-

	Played	For	Against	Points
LOUDOUN	3	8	10	6
KIL. BARASSIE	1	4.5	1.5	4
BALLOCHMYLE	1	3	3	2
PR. ST CUTHBERT	1	3	3	2
TURNBERRY	1	3	3	2
IRVINE	1	2.5	3.5	0

In DIVISION 2, Irvine Ravenspark remain in front following a 4 – 2 home win over Ayr Belleisle, closely followed by West Kilbride who won their last match at home to Troon Welbeck by the same score.

In the other match played recently, Girvan secured their first win of the season in a 4 – 2 win away from home against Troon St Meddans.

Present positions in Division 2 are :-

	Played	For	Against	Points
IRV. RAVENSPARK	4	14	10	10
WEST KILBRIDE	2	7.5	4.5	8
TR. ST MEDDANS	3	9.5	8.5	8
AYR BELLEISLE	2	6	6	4
GIRVAN	4	10	14	4
TROON WELBECK	3	7	11	2

In DIVISION 3, Largs recorded their second successive win with a 4 – 2 result away from home at Ardeer, whilst Ardeer gained their first points of the season after being awarded their home match by the ir visitors Prestwick St Nicholas, after the latter were unable to raise a team for the fixture.

Present positions in Division 3 are :-

	Played	For	Against	Points
LARGS	2	9.5	2.5	8
ARDEER	2	6	6	4
ROWALLAN CASTLE	0	0	0	0
CAPRINGTON	0	0	0	0
PR. ST NICHOLAS	1	2	4	0
KILBIRNIE PLACE	1	0.5	5.5	0

In DIVISION 4, no further results have been posted so far.

Present positions in Division 4 are :-

	Played	For	Against	Points
TROON PORTLAND	1	3.5	2.5	4
NEW CUMNOCK	0	0	0	0
BRUNSTON CASTLE	1	2.5	3.5	0
TAM O SHANTER	0	0	0	0

In DIVISION 5, Crosshouse moved to the top of the table following a 6 – 0 whitewash of Ayr Seafield at Annanhill in their opening home fixture of the year, to atone for their earlier defeat in the corresponding fixture at Ayr.

Present positions in Division 5 are :-

	Played	For	Against	Points
CROSSHOUSE	2	8	4	4
AYR SEAFIELD	2	4	8	4
AYR DALMILLING	0	0	0	0
MOORPARK	0	0	0	0

HANDICAP TEAM KNOCKOUT COMPETITION - Brunston castle face Ayr Belleisle in last sixteen

Brunston Castle are the latest club to win through to the last sixteen of the new Handicap Team Knockout competition, where they will play host to Ayr Belleisle.

The Brunston Castle team were away from home against Ayr Dalmilling in round two, but recorded a 3 - 0 win to progress to the next round.

All second round matches are due for completion by Sunday 29th May.

The outstanding results still awaited are :-

Girvan vs Loudoun

Irvine Ravensaprk Vs Ayr Seafield

Abbotsford Vs Turnberry

Troon St Meddans Vs Saxone

Braehead Vs NB Parkstone

All outstanding results should be notified to the tournament administrator as soon as possible.

SCRATCH TEAM KNOCKOUT COMPETITION - Girvan, Ayr Belleisle & Caprington through to last sixteen

Girvan, Ayr Belleisle and Caprington are the latest three clubs through to the last sixteen of the new Scratch Team Knockout competition.

Girvan had a 2 - 1 home wibn over a much fancied Royal Troon team to set up another home tie in round three, against Ayr Belleisle, who progressed after being awarded a walkover by their opponents, Largs.

Caprington were also 2 - 1 winners, away from home against Ayr Seafield, and are now away to either Tam O Shanter or Prestwick St Cuthbert in round three.

All outstanding ties in the second round are due to be completed by Sunday 29th May.

The outstanding results awaited are :-

Crosshouse Vs Abbotsford

Tam O Shanter Vs Prestwick St Cuthbert

The outstanding results should be notified to the championship administrator as soon as possible.