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 10^th 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