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Friday, August 10, 2007

AYRSHIRE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TROPHY - Cairney edges out McLean in classic final

John Cairney (Irvine Ravenspark) is the 2007 Ayrshire Champion Of Champions Trophy winner, after he edged out Alan McLean (Kilbirnie Place) by one hole in the final at Royal Troon on Friday 10th August.

In one of the best, and closest, finals seenin recent years, there was never more than one hole in it throughout the round, which appropriately was concluded on the final green of the regulation round.
Cairney was the first to gain advantage after a birdie 3 at the second hole. A birdie at the par 5 fourth hole saw Mclean level the match but Cairney immediately restored his lead with a birdie two at the fifth.

With successive birdies at the sixth and seventh, McLean overturned Cairney's, to go one up for the first time, but par was good enough for cairney to take the ninth hole and square the match at the turn.

Scoring at the start of the inward half was more scrappy than the excellent outward nine and fives were good enough to win the opening three holes of the inward nine, cairney taking a one hole lead over the space of the three holes.

A par three was good enough for McLean to square the match at the 14th, but he slipped to a bogey at the following hole to let Cairney restore his advantage.

McLean was not finished however, and a birdie 2 at the penultimate hole levelled the match once more.
With both players well placed in the fairway at the 18th, the approach shots were crucial and it was cairney who took the advantage, his effort coming to rest 10 feet to ther left of the hole whilst McLean's ball pulled up some distance short of the flag.

McLean made a valliant attempt which just missed the hole leaving cairney with a tricky left to right put for the trophy. Cairney struck a good put which disappeard into the hole for a birdie three and a one hole victory.

Presentations were made to both players at the conclusion of the match by Ayrshire Golf Association President, Ricky Magee (Caprington)


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