Ayrshire Matchplay Champion Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) added to his impressive haul of titles this season on Saturday night, 25th June, when he won the final of the Troon Links Championship over his home course.Winner of the Troon Links in 2009 and a quarter finalist last year, Michael came through the qualifying rounds over the Lochgreen and Portland courses to contest the matchplay off the championship tees of the old course at his home club.
The leading qualifier for the matchplay was Stephen Murray (Troon Welbeck) who led the field largely as a result of an excellent score of 64 over the Portland course on the Tuesday evening of the qualifying rounds.
In the semi finals of the matchplay stages, Stephen Murray defeated the holder Euan Brown (Kilmarnock Barassie) whilst Michael Smyth booked his place in the final with a 6 & 5 win over clubmate Bert Ferguson.
In the final on saturday, Smyth started slowly, finding himself two down after two holes as a result of successive bogeys. Smyth however steadied his game and secured halved holes from the third through to the sixth.
Smyth stepped up a gear from the seventh hole, winning the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 13th holes in a run which saw him cover the seven hole stretch in two under par, to take a 4 hole lead.
Murray won the short 14th with a par after Smyth found a bunker with his tee shot, but this only delayed Smyth's charge to the title and a par four at the 15th was enough to give Smyth a 4 & 3 victory and the Troon Links title for 2011.
To round off a perfect weekend, Michael Smyth won the Royal Troon Club Championship on Sunday afternoon to add further to an excellent record of title wins so far this season.
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