AYRSHIRE STROKEPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP - Telfer pips Smyth to win first County Strokeplay Championship crown

2016 Ayrshire Strokeplay Champion
Greg Telfer

The 2016 Ayrshire Strokeplay Champion is Greg Telfer (Prestwick St Cuthbert), who won the championship for the first time over his home course on Sunday 24th April in a very close finish. 


21 year old Telfer, who won the Scottish Junior Champion Of Champions title in 2012, edged out Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) by a single shot to win the championship, having been matched in scoring with Smyth throughout the 36 hole event.

The players enjoyed good golfing conditions, but a strengthening breeze throughout the day made the course testing, ultimately making the CSS rise by two in both the morning and afternoon rounds, to 73.

Best round of the day
David Glass

David Glass (Prestwick St Cuthbert), the 1998 champion, made his first appearance in the county championship for a few years and after the morning round was at the head of the field with a four under par 67, one shot ahead of both Greg Telfer and Michael Smyth on 68 and two ahead of the three times winner John Shanks (Irvine) on 69.

Tommy McInally
Stout title defence

Defending champion Tommy McInally (Loudoun) was the only other player under par after the morning round, lying three off the pace following an opening round of 70.

In the afternoon, a poor start saw David Glass fade out of the picture.


The challenge from John Shanks and Tommy McInally also faded in the afternoon, as Greg Telfer's older brother Craig, along with Graeme Gimson from the host club and Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) posted the target to beat with 144.

Charlie Macneal
third place finish

Charlie Macneal (Prestwick) followed a level par opening round of 71 with the same score in the afternoon, giving him a total of 142 and third place overall.

Greg Telfer followed his opening 68 with a second round of 70, one under par, which was the only score under par posted in the afternoon and gave Greg Telfer the lead with a two round total of 138, four under par.

Michael Smyth
pipped for the title

Telfer's strongest challenger looked to be Michael Smyth and so it proved to be. Smyth stood on the final tee needing a closing birdie four to match Telfer's total of 138 and force a play off for the county strokeplay title which has so far eluded him, but in the event Smyth could only manage a par five on the final hole, leaving him a single shot short of Greg Telfer's leading score.

At the close of play, Ayrshire Gof Association President James McMurdo presented the Ayrshire Strokeplay Championship trophy and medal to the 2016 winner Greg Telfer.



Final Scores :-

Par 71
CSS - morning 73 (+2) fternoon 73 (+2)

	Players Name	Club	H/C	Rd. 1 Scr.	Rd. 2 Scr.
138	Greg Telfer	Prestwick St Cuthbert	0	68	70
139	Michael Smyth	Royal Troon	+2	68	71
142	Charlie MacNeal	Prestwick	+2	71	71
144	Keith Hamilton	Ayr Belleisle	+3	72	72
144	Graeme Gimson	Prestwick St Cuthbert	+1	72	72
144	Craig Telfer	Prestwick St Cuthbert	+2	72	72
144	Stuart Miller	Kilmarnock Barassie	0	71	73
146	James Johnston	Ayr Belleisle	+1	75	71
146	Gavin Nimmo	Troon St Meddans	0	74	72
146	Steven Wallace	Prestwick St Cuthbert	+2	73	73
146	Colin Gray	Irvine	+1	73	73
146	Adrian Orton	Kilmarnock Barassie	2	71	75
146	Stuart Robin	Prestwick St Cuthbert	+2	71	75
146	John Shanks	Irvine	+2	69	77
146	David Glass	Prestwick St Cuthbert	0	67	79
147	Malcolm Pennycott	Whiting Bay	+1	75	72
147	Jack Broun	Ayr Belleisle	2	74	73
147	Alan McLean	Kilbirnie Place	1	74	73
147	Craig Hamilton	Ballochmyle	+2	73	74
147	Stephen Spence	Royal Troon	+1	73	74
147	Shaun Hedger	West Kilbride	0	72	75
147	Jack Thomas	Irvine	1	72	75
148	Gary Vogwell	West Kilbride	2	75	73
148	Alan Connery	Irvine	0	73	75
149	David MacDonald	Largs	0	75	74
149	Paul Denim	Loudoun	0	75	74
149	George Robertson	Irvine	0	73	76
149	Tommy McInally	Loudoun	+1	70	79
150	Euan Ferguson	Turnberry	3	79	71
150	Stephen McBlain	Troon Portland	3	75	75
150	Mark Anderson	Irvine	0	74	76
150	Steven Stamper	Girvan	+1	73	77
151	Darren Mallinson	Irvine Ravenspark	0	78	73
151	Scott McCahill	Turnberry	1	77	74
152	Barry O'Rourke	Kilbirnie Place	1	75	77
153	Sandy Walker	Kilmarnock Barassie	1	76	77
153	Jordan Fraser	Ayr Belleisle	2	75	78
154	Neil Black	Rowallan Castle	2	79	75
154	Sandy Buchanan	Prestwick St Nicholas	+1	77	77
155	Gordon Johnston	Kilbirnie Place	2	78	77
155	Gareth Lamb	Irvine	0	76	79
156	Alasdair Berry	Irvine Ravenspark	3	79	77
156	David Longair	Prestwick St Cuthbert	2	79	77
156	Iain Fraser	Troon Portland	2	76	80
157	D.H. Forbes	Irvine	3	81	76
158	John Rushbury	Royal Troon	3	79	79
158	Mark Gallagher	Rowallan Castle	3	77	81
159	Blair Gavin	Royal Troon	1	80	79
159	Barrie McDonnell	Caprington	2	81	78
160	Iain MacDonald	Largs	+1	79	81
160	Callum Irving	Ayr Belleisle	3	79	81
160	Cameron MacLean	West Kilbride	3	77	83
162	Robbie Stewart	Troon Portland	2	83	79
164	Gary Cochran	Irvine Ravenspark	1	85	79
164	William Fleming	Ballochmyle	2	80	84
N/R	J. Gordon Boyle	Turnberry	0	74	N/R
N/R	John Sloan	Doon Valley	+1	79	--
N/R	Steven McEwan	Loudoun	+1	81	--
N/R	Calum McKirdy	Ballochmyle	3	81	N/R
N/R	Calum McKirdy	Ballochmyle	3	81	N/R
N/R	Gary Allison	Rowallan Castle	3	82	--
N/R	Scott Brown	Turnberry	+1	N/R	--
N/R	Scott Gilchrist	Loudoun	3	N/R	--
N/R	Joe Gilligan	Troon Portland	3	N/R	--
N/R	Scott Bell	West Kilbride	2	N/R	85
N/R	Bruce Travers	Loudoun	3	N/R	76
N/R	Luke Halbert	Irvine	3	N/R	--