SCOTTISH MEN'S AREA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - Ayrshire qualify in third place for quarter finals

Ayrshire qualified in third place for the quarter finals of the 2017 Scottish men's Area team Championship, following completion of the strokeplay qualifying rounds over the Hawkshead and Swailend course at Newmachar, near Aberdeen, on Friday 8th September.

The Ayrshire team total of 715 matched that of Renfrewshire, in fourth place, behind Glasgow (709) and leading qualifiers Lothians (692)

Cawder’s Calum Fyfe set a Newmachar Hawkshill course record on his way to a superb 18 under par total of 126. Fyfe had only 23 putts in halves of 34 (-2) and 30 (-6), concluding his round with an eagle at the 16th, where he holed a 30ft putt, and birdies at the 17th and 18th. In the afternoon Fyfe added a 62 on the Swailend course, one short of the course record, to top the individual standings by eight strokes from Euan McIntosh (Turnhouse).

John Shanks (Irvine) was Ayrshire's best individual peformer with his rounds of 74 over the Hawkshill course and 64 over the Swailend course giving him asix under par total of 138 and fourth place overall in the individual standings.

The other Ayrshire scores (Hawkshill course first) were :-

Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) 74 / 69 = 143 (-1)
Jack Broun (Ayr Belleisle) 73 / 71 = 144 (level)
Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle) 71 / 73 = 144 (level)
Steven Wallace (Prestwick St Cuthbert) - 71 / 76 = 149 (+3)
Jim Johnston (Ayr Belleisle) - 76 / 75 = 151 (+7)

In the quarter finals on Saturday morning, Ayrshire play the defending champions, Lanarkshire, with four singles ties and one foursomes deciding who will progress to the semi finals in the afternoon.

The order  of play for the quarter finals is :-

Lothians v North

Renfrewshire v Perth & Kinross

Glasgow v North-East

Ayrshire v Lanarkshire