Saturday, September 28, 2013

AYRSHIRE JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE - Troon Welbeck end 29 year wait for title hat trick



Troon Welbeck ended a 29 year wait to record their third Ayrshire Junior Golf league Championship win on Sunday 22nd September when they beat West Kilbride in the final played over the Ayr Belleisle course. 

Class of 2013
The winning Troon Welbeck team
With Team Manager Alex McCrone and Junior Convener Douglas Stevenson 


2013 runners up West Kilbride
with team manager Morgan Hall


Both finalists had two previous wins in the League Championship to their name, West Kilbride having won in 2005 and 2009 whilst Troon Welbeck had to go back to their second season in the competition in 1980, and again 1n 1984 to find their previous title wins.

In what was to prove a nailbiting final, it was Troon Welbeck who edged the title by 3.5 - 2.5 against West Kilbride, the match being decided by the final match on the 18th green at Belleisle.

In the top tie, Shaun Hedger beat newly crowned Junior Champion Of Champions Murray McCrone by 4 & 3 to put West Kilbride in front but Craig McKenzie for Welbeck was always ahead in his tie against Kieran Tumilty, reaching the turn 3 up before winning the 10th to go 4up on his way to a 3 & 1 victory.

 It was evident that the final was going to be close, between two evenly matched sides, and so it proved to be. Campbell Mathieson was always up in his tie, being three up after twelve holes before losing the thirteenth and fifteenth to Euan Jack. Mathieson however rallied and won the seventeenth with a par three for a 2 & 1 victory to put Welbeck 2 - 1 ahead.
Class of 1980 - winners by 5 - 1 in the final 
The winning Troon Welbeck team from 1980 (front)
with runners up Prestwick St Cuthbert
St Cuthbert (L-R)
David Campbell, James Tonner, Walker Cairns, David Glass,
mark Gibson, Alasdair Malcolm, Alastair Graham
Troon Welbeck (L-R)
Robbie Stewart, Graeme Rennie, martin McVey, Billy McVey,
Colin McGarva, Billy Young, Billy McLaughlan

 Blair Fleming and Jonny Duncan both started with birdies at the first two holes in their tie and it was Fleming who was ahead by one hole at the turn. Duncan fought back and successive wins at the twelfth and thirteenth to take the advantage, which he maintained throughout the rest of the tie to square the overall match with a 2 & 1 win.

Jordan Wotherspoon in the final tie was always in control against Scott Hunter, winning the tie by 5 & 3 to give Welbeck a 3 - 2 lead in the final with only one tie still on the course.

 In the remaining tie, Jack Kerr of West Kilbride held a narrow lead over Ali Bell the Troon Welbeck team captain, but the Welbeck player won the final hole for a half match to give his side a clear win in the Championship by 3.5 - 2.5

match details (Troon Welbeck names first):-
 
Murray McCrone lost to Shaun Hedger 4&3

Craig McKenzie beat Keiran Tumilty 3&1
Campbell Mathieson beat Euan Jack 2&1
Blair Fleming lost to Jonny Duncan 2&1
Ali Bell halved with Jack Kerr
Jordan Wotherspoon beat Scott Hunter 5&3 

Troon Welbeck 3.5 West Kilbride 2.5

AYRSHIRE JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE - Murray McCrone becomes youngest Champion Of Champions winner

2013
Junior Champion Of Champions
Winner
Murray McCrone
Murray McCrone (Troon Welbeck) became the youngest ever winner of the Ayrshire Junior Champion Of Champions Trophy in the competitions 34 year history when he won the 2013 competition over the Ayr Belleisle cours on Saturday 21st September.
 
In the final, McCrone beat Aidan Dore (Loudoun) by 3 & 2, and having turned 15 in May this year, he became the youngest ever winner by four months, from the previous holder of that distinction, 2004 winner Cameron Gray (West Kibride).
 
In the final, Dore was longer of the tee than McCrone and it was the Loudoun player who made the first move, taking the first hole with a steady par before McCrone squared the match at the third hole.

After that, McCrone took control of the match, making very few mistakes and producing a very solid performance, hitting every fairway from the tee and almost every green in regulation.

McCrone won the fifth and sixth holes to take a two hole lead, which he maintained to the turn befor extending his advantage further by winning the eleventh and twelfth to go four ahead.

The advantage was reduced to three when Dore took the thirteenth hole and McCropne closed out the match by 3 & 2 as the remaining holes were halved.

 

Monday, September 23, 2013

AYRSHIRE SCRATCH LEAGUES - Last gasp title joy for Ballochmyle and Turnberry

In the 2013 Ayrshire Scratch leagues, Ballochmyle and Turnberry are celebrating this week after clinching their respective league titles in their final matches of the campaign.

In Division 2, a 3.5 - 2.5 win for Ballochmyle at Ayr Belleisle was just enough for the Mauchline club to edge out Prestwick St Cuthbert on tie difference and claim back thir place in Division 1 next season.

The final match remaining in Division 2 is a relegation showdown between Largs and caprington with Largs needing to beat their visitors to avoid the drop to Division 3.

Present positions in Division 2 are :-
 
Played
For
Against
Points
Ballochmyle
10
38
22
28
Prestwick St Cuthbert
10
35
25
28
Ayr Belleisle
10
27
33
16
Ardeer
10
27
33
16
Caprington
9
25
29
16
Largs
9
22
32
12

In Division 4, the winner takes all title showdown between Turnberry and Ayr Dalmilling resulted in a 4.5 - 1.5 win for the home side who won the title as a result and will move up to Division 3 next season.

Final placings in Division 4 are :-

Played
For
Against
Points
Turnberry
8
32
16
26
Ayr Dalmilling
8
28
20
20
Rowallan Castle
8
28
20
18
Tam O Shanter
8
17.5
30.5
12
Maybole
8
14.5
33.5
4

PAUL LAWRIE FOUNDATION FLAG FINAL - Ruben Lindsay land another first

Ruben Lindsay with Paul Lawrie

Nine year old Ruben Lindsay continued his golden year at the recent Paul Lawrie Foundation Flag Final at Deeside on Sunday 22nd September, taking joint first in the Under 10 event.

On a stunning day at the beautiful Blairs Course the winning players from all of the 2013 season's previous events lined-up to take on the tree-lined "wee course" at the Deeside club in Aberdeen.

In the Under 10s Boys Ruben’s score of 36 over 9 holes was enough for a 3 way tie for the lead and it was decided to award all 3 boys with the winning medals and prize, Ruben Lindsay sharing the honours with Liam Harker & Jamie Gibb.

In the Under 10s Girls category, Rachel Mathieson and Carmen Griffiths were very good but just short of Caitlin Fraser's good play.

Three familiar names topped the Under 12S Boys event with Liam Waldron, Evan Orr and, in first spot, Cameron Black doing the business.

For the Under 12's Girls  Megan Ashley got  furthest, ahead of Lucy George and Chloe Hendeson.
  
Paul Lawrie attended the Final event of the season to award all the prize winners and give some useful tips to the boys and girls of his Foundation.
 

WEST OF SCOTLAND LEAGUES - Mixed fortunes for Ayrshire teams against Renfrewshire

The Ayrshire teams had mixed fortunes against Renfrewshire in week two of the 2013 West Of Scotland Inter County Leagues, with the A team being defeated at Cochrane castle whilst the Youths team won at Troon Lochgreen.

Defending champions Renfrewshire A team started the new 2013 campaign promisingly by recording a solid win over Ayrshire at Cochrane Castle by 5.5 to 2.5.
Both teams were not at full strength, nevertheless 4 wins, 3 halves and only one defeat is a positive start for the title holders.

The majority of the ties were close with 4 games decided on the last hole.

Match details (Renfrewshire names first) :-

Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) beat Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) by 3 & 2
Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) halved with Ewan McKinnon (Corrie)
Ronnie Clark (Erskine) beat John Haggarty (Loudoun) by 5 & 3
Chris Kelly (Bonnyton) halved with Gary Bryden (Girvan)
Lee Jenkins (Elderslie) beat Colin Gray (Irvine) by 1 hole
David Dickson (Eastwood) lost to Malcolm Pennycott (Whiting Bay) by 2 & 1
Gary Price (Paisley) halved with Barry McDonnell (Caprington)
Alan Kelly (Cochrane Castle) beat John Rushbury (Rowallan Castle) by 9 & 8

RENFREWSHIRE A  5.5  AYRSHIRE A  2.5

In the corresponding youths fixture, at Troon Lochgreen, Ayrshire edged a narrow 4.5 – 3.5 victory over their visitors.

The present league standings are :-


 A LEAGUE
P
F
A
Pts
LANARKSHIRE


2


9.0


7.0


4
RENFREWSHIRE


1


5.5


6.0


2
DUMBARTONSHIRE


0


0.0


0.0


0
STIRLINGSHIRE


0


0.0


0.0


0
GLASGOW


1


3.5


4.5


0
AYRSHIRE
2
6.0
10.0
0

 

 YOUTHS
P
F
A
Pts
AYRSHIRE
2
12.5
3.5
4
STIRLINGSHIRE


1


5.5


2.5


2
LANARKSHIRE


2


5.5


10.5


2
RENFREWSHIRE


1


3.5


4.5


0
DUMBARTONSHIRE


1


2.5


5.5


0
GLASGOW


1


2.5


5.5


0


The scheduled fixtures for next week are :-

A LEAGUE

29 September 2013
AYRSHIRE
 
DUMBARTONSHIRE
 
Irvine Ravenspark
 
 
 
 
 
RENFREWSHIRE
 
GLASGOW
 
Kilmacolm
 
 
 
 
 
LANARKSHIRE
 
STIRLINGSHIRE
 
Hamilton

 YOUTHS LEAGUE

29 September 2013
DUMBARTONSHIRE
 
AYRSHIRE
 
Helensburgh
 
 
 
 
 
GLASGOW
 
RENFREWSHIRE
 
Pollock
 
 
 
 
 
STIRLINGSHIRE
 
LANARKSHIRE
 
Kilsyth Lennox