AYRSHIRE CLUB TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS - Triumph for Loudoun and Brunston Castle in inaugural finals day

The inaugural finals of the two Ayrshire Club Team Championship competitions, introduced this year, were played at Ballochmyle Golf Club on Sunday 11th September, with Brunston castle and Loudoun taking the honours.

Both championships were played throughout the season on a knockout basis, with each match consisting of  two singles and one foursomes tie, with ties to be played to a finish with the use of extra holes if need be.

In the Club Team Handicap Championship Brunston Castle GC faced Moorpark GC for the honour of winning the President's Putter trophy for the first time.

The winning Brunston Castle team with The President's Putter
with the Moorpark amd Brunston Castle teams above, prior to the start of the final. 

The opening singles tie was between David McCulloch of Brunston Castle and Stewart Lusby of Moorpark, and it was McCulloch who secured the first point for his team with a 5 & 4 win.

The second singles tie featured mark Smith from Brunston castle and Andrew Armstrong of Moorpark and again it was the Brunston Castle player who came out on top with a 5 & 3 victory to secure a winning 2 - 0 lead for Brunston Castle.

With the destiny of the trophy decided, the remaining foursomes match between George McCulloch and Brian Jamieson of Brunston Castle and John Hargreves and Bryan King of Moorpark was agreed as a half to give Brunston Castle the title by 2.5 - 0.5.

The Club Team Scratch Championship final, for the Gary Bryden Memorial Salver featured two very strong teams from Loudoun and Preastwick St Cuthbert, with seven of the eight players involved featuring regularly in County teams.

The winning Loudoun team with the Gary Bryden Memorial Salver
Steven McEwan is missing from the picture.
Team manager Scott Gilchrist is on the left whilst caddy Ryan Kennedy is on the front right
The finalists, Prestwick St Cuthbert and Loudoun are pictured above

The opening singles tie featured Tommy McInally of Loudoun and Craig Telfer of Prestwick St Cuthbert, with McInally winning the tie by 4 & 3 to put the first point on the board for Loudoun.

At the same time, Greg Telfer was closing out his tie against Steven McEwan by 5 & 4 to leave the match score at 1 - 1 and ensuring that the destination of the title, and the Gary Bryden Memorial Salver in the inaugural year would lie with the result of the foursomes tie.

In the foursomes tie, featuring John Haggarty and Paul Kennedy of  Loudoun against Stuart Robin and Graeme Gimson of Prestwick St Cuthbert, the players approached the final tee with Loudoun one hole up.

Both pairings were on the green in three at the last and Paul Kennedy's 15 foot birdie putt ran eighteen inches past the hole, leaving Stuart Robin with a chance from just slightly less distance, for a birdie four to take the tie into extra holes. Despite a good attempt, Robin's downhill right to left putt passed the right hand side of the hole and ran three feet past. Graeme Gimson holed the return for a par five to keep the pressure on the Loudoun pair, but John Haggarty was equal to the task in and, holing his eighteen inch par put to half the hole, win the tie by one hole and take the Gary Bryden Memorial Salver for the first time.

Ayrshire Golf Association President James McMurdo presented both the new trophies to the successful teams at the end of play.