WEST OF SCOTLAND INTER COUNTY UNDER 18 LEAGUE - Ayrshire defeat Lanarkshire at Kilmarnock Barassie

The Ayrshire Under 18 boys team secured their first win of the season in the West Of Scotland Inter County League for the Wishart Troohy in some style at Kilmarnock Barassie on Sunday 23rd July, defeating their visitors from Lanarkshire by 7 - 1.

The winning Under 18 team against Lanarkshire
Ross McDonald, Kyle Brown, Ruben Lindsay, Sean Addie,
Euan Ferguson, Ewan Milligan, Kieran Beauchamp, Ben Fleming

Lanarkshire, who are the reigning Scottish Boys Area Team Champions, had a strong side which included the newly crowned Scottish Boys Champion Greg Dalziel (Airdrie) and two other members of the four man team who won the Boys Area team Championship.

In the lead tie of the four under sixteen pairings, Ruben Lindsay (Ayr Belleisle) got Ayrshire off to a great start with a 5 & 3, whilst Ross McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) was one under par when he closed out his match with a 8 & 6 victory.

Ben Fleming (Troon Welbeck) lost out in his tie by 4 & 3, but wins from Ewan Milligan (Kilmarnock Barassie) and Euan Ferguson (Turnberry) in the first of the under 18 ties, by 4&3 and 5&4 respectively, ensured a win in the match for Ayrshire as the final under 16 tie featuring Sean Addie (Ayr Belleisle) was dormie in Ayrshire's favour at that stage. Sean Addie ensured a clear victory by closing out his tie by 3&1.

With five points on the board from six, the only matter left to decide was the margin of Ayrshire's victory and in the penultimate tie,  Kyle Brown (Turnberry) notched up another point for Ayrshire with a 2&1 win.

The final tie on the course involved Kieran Beauchamp (Turnberry) and Scottish Boys Champion Greg Dalziel (Airdrie). beauchamp went behind early in the match following a three putt but managed to stay in touch with the national champion well into the latter stages of the match, squaring the tie at the fifteenth, only to see his opponent go one ahead again with a birdie at the sixteenth.

At the penultimate hole both players missed the fairway from the tee and their approach shots both missed the green, Beauchamp's dropping off the back left of the green whilst Dalziel's missed the green on the right, coming to rest in the rough with a difficult chip left over greenside mounds.

Beauchamp's chip ran twelve feet past the hole but Dalziel took two to reach the putting surface, leaving Beauchamp with a put for par to level the match again. The Ayrshire player stroked a fine putt which disappeared into the hole and the match went to the final tee all square.

At the last, Dalziel, with an iron from the tee, played his approach first and his ball came to rest within fifteen feet of the hole whilst Beauchamp, with admirable composure under the circumstances, played an excellent approach which came to rest ten feet to the right of the pin.

Putting first, Dalziel's effort never threatened the hole and stayed above ground, leaving Beauchamp with a birdie putt for victory.

Showing no nerves, Beauchamp coolly slotted home his put for a winning birdie three to record what must be one of the most notable victories in his golf career to date, and give Ayrshire a 7 - 1 win overall in the match.

Match details (Ayrshire names first):-

Ruben Lindsay (Ayr Belleisle) beat Scott Littlejohn (Colville Park) by 5 & 3
Sean Addie (Ayr Belleisle) beat Patrick Norris (Bothwell Castle) by 3 & 1
Ben Fleming (Troon Welbeck) lost to Nicholas Fagan (Bothwell Castle) by 4 & 3
Ross McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) beat Fraser Merryweather (Carluke) by 8 & 6
Ewan Milligan (Kilmarnock Barassie) beat Jack Emerson (East Kilbride)  by 4 & 3
Euan Ferguson (Turnberry) beat Scott Thomson (Drumpellier) by 5 & 4
Kyle Brown (Turnberry) beat Kieran McAllister (Easter Moffat) by 2 & 1
Kieran Beachamp (Turnberry) beat Greg Dalziel (Airdrie) by 1 hole.

AYRSHIRE    7   LANARKSHIRE     1

Ayrshire's next match in the league is on Sunday 20th August  when they travel to play Dumbartonshire at Dumbarton GC.