The Ayr Belleisle pairing of Ian Yates and Derek Brown are the 2006 Ayrshire Fourball Trophy winners, after defeating the Turnberry team of Tom Bennett and Ronnie McLellan by 4 & 3 in the rearanged final, held over the Dundonald Course at Kilmarnock (Barassie) on Sunday 28th January 2007.
The final, originally played on 11th September but abandoned at the 11th hole due to flooding,could have been titled "The Duel In The Wind" with a stiff north westerly breeze making club selection difficult and long iron approach shots to the green the norm.
The match started in great style, Turnberry winning the first with a birdie from Ronnie McLellan. This, however, seemed only to spur the Belleisle team into action as they took the next three holes, two of them with birdies, to go two up after four.
A superb 5 wood second shot to the 6th set up a win for Tom Bennett to reduce the defecit, but again Ian Yates rose to the challenge taking back a hole by the turn to give Belleisle a two hole advantage into the inward nine.
Neither team could make a breakthrough in the closing stages until Ian Yates holed a 12 foot putt for a winning par at the 14th, to take his team to three ahead.
At par three 15th, which proved to be the final hole of the match, all four players failed to hit the green into the full strength of the wind. Derek Brown played a fine recovery shot to within 3 feet of the hole but was surpassed by his partner Ian Yates who saw his attempt finish 3 inches from the cup. The conceded par was sufficient to win the hole and give Ayr Belleisle a 4 & 3 victory in a match whic was played in a most friendly and gentlemanly manner.
The winners will be presented with their trophy at the Ayrshire Golf Association Annual Dinner at Irvine Ravenspark in February 2007.
