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| 2012 Fourball Champions from Brunston Castle David & George McCulloch |
The final was played in excellent conditions with both teams producing some sparkling golf in the final which was completed in the most sporting manner.
With Robert Marshall the low man off his 3 handicap, the other finalists George McCulloch (7), David McCulloch (8) and Phil Rooney (15) received some shots in the match.
The Brunston Castle pair opened with a birdie four to take an early lead, only to see Beith level the match at the second hole with a birdie three. A third successive birdie won the next hole, the Brunston Castle players edging ahead once again.
Another birdie three at the fifth hole increased the Brunsston Castle lead to two holes, a margin they maintained until the ninth where the Beith duo pulled one back to turn for home one behind.
At the 10th the McCulloch's restored their two hole advantage again and a nett birdie at the twelfth saw the Brunston Castle lead increase to three holes with six to play.
At the thirteenth hole, Robert Marshall produced a superb approach shot to the green which came to rest just three feet from the hole to set up a winning birdie three and reduce the defisit to two holes once again.
The 185 yard par three thirteenth hole was playing into a difficult cross wind and only George McCulloch of Brunston Castle found the green from the tee, his ball coming to rest eighteen feet below the hole. With the other three players still outside him in two shots, George McCulloch looked favourite to win the hole before Robert Marshall holed a superb 25 foot put from the back of the green for a par three. marshall was followed in for par by David McCulloch from around twelve feet and, not to be outdone, George McCulloch duly holed his eighteen foot putt for a birdie two to restore his team's three hole advantage.
With only four holes remaining, the Beith duo needed to produce the same kind of magic that had seen then fight back from dormie five down in a previous round to win at the third extra hole, and Robert Marshall gave his team a chance with a superb second shot to the green which finished five feet to the left of the hole. With Rooney out of the hole and George McCulloch struggling, it was down to David McCulloch to keep the pressure on. With a stroke at the hole, david McCulloch came up short with his approach but his chip finished a few inches inside Marshall's ball in three, nett two.
First to go, Marshall hit his putt on line but was wanting a little on pace and saw his birdie attempt pull up agonisingly less than an inch from the hole.
Facing a four and a half foot putt for the championship, david McCulloch made no mistake, confidently holing his putt for a nett birdie three and a 4 & 3 victory for Brunston Castle.
Despite the disappointment of losing out at the final stage, marshall & Rooney will have the opportunity to go one better next year, having qualified to represent their club in the 2013 competition, as indeed have the new champions from Brunston Castle.
At the conclusion of the final, Ayrshire Golf Association Past President Alasdair Malcolm (Prestwick St Nicholas) presented prizes to both teams and handed over the Ayrshire Fourball Trophy to the 2012 champions, George & David McCulloch of Brunston Castle
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