WEST OF SCOTLAND INTER COUNTY UNDER 18 LEAGUE - Ayrshire make it four wins from four in tight match with Glasgow

The Ayrshire boys under 18 county team made it four wins from four in the 2018 West of Scotland inter county league on Sunday 19th August when they won a narrow victory over their hosts Glasgow at Pollok GC.

The winning Ayrshire boys team at Pollok
Sean Addie, Kerr Brooks, Fraser Russell, Jack Broun,
Ewan Milligan, Cammy Johnstone, Ruben Lindsay, John Lomas

The Ayrshire team was boosted by the inclusion of the two current boys internationalists, Jack Broun (Ayr Belleisle) and Ruben Lindsay (Ayr Belleisle) whilst Glasgow were in a position to field their strongest team in recent matches.

Ayrshire won three of the opening four under 16 ties, Ruben Lindsay and Cameron Johnstone (Troon Welbeck) winning the third and fourth ties comfortable whilst Kerr Brooks (Irvine) in the lead tie won on the penultimate hole. Despite some fine play, Fraser Russell (Troon Welbeck) lost out in his tie.

With Jack Broun overcoming his opponent with ease, Ayrshire were assured of at least a 4-4 draw with three ties still on the course, but to the credit of the home side they battled on and a defeat for  Ewan Milligan (Kilmarnock Barassie) followed by a first defeat of the campaign for John Lomas (Ayr Belleisle) left the final result resting on the last tie on the course, involving sixteen year old Ayrshire Boys Champion Sean Addie (Ayr Belleisle) and fifteen year old Andrew Forbes (Haggs Castle), with Addie only needing a halved match to give Ayrshire victory.

The tie was close throughout but by the fifteenth tee Addie had established a single hole lead. Forbes looked favourite at the par five fifteenth after Addie's tee shot was blocked into the trees on the right but Addie played a fine recovery to the fairway and found the green in three whilst Forbes' second found sand and his third finished just short of the green. Whilst Addie two putted for a par, Forbes took three to get down and Addie's lead was stretched to two holes with three to play.

At the sixteenth, Forbes played an excellent approach to a few feet from the pin and Addie followed him in to a similar distance. Whilst Addie's putt just missed, Forbes holed to reduce the deficit to one. At the par three seventeenth, Addie was just off the front of the green with his tee shot whilst Forbes found the green but was slightly further from the hole. Playing first, Forbes holed a tricky put for a two, his second successive birdie, and despite a valiant effort with his chip, which just missed the right edge of the hole, Addie found his lead cancelled out and the tie went to the last all square.

Both players hit excellent tee shots up the final hole and fine approach shots onto the green, with Forbes facing a fifteen foot putt from the back left of the green for his third successive birdie, whilst Addie was slightly further away, coming from the right side of the green. Putting first, Addie;s putt looked good until the last few inched from the hole when it fell away from right to left and slid past the left side of the cup. Forbes had one final opportunity to complete an outstanding fightback but in the event his putt slid past the left of the hole, the hole and the tie were halved and Ayrshire edged a 4.5 - 3.5 victory overall in the match.

Match details (Glasgow names first):-

Mark Donaldson (Sandyhills) lost to Kerr Brooks (Irvine) by 2&1
Louis Kaso (Ralston) beat Fraser Russell (Troon Welbeck) by 3&2
Logan Glatey ((Sandyhills) lost to Cammy Johnstone (Troon Welbeck) by 4&3
Matthew Hughes (Ralston) lost to Ruben Lindsay (Ayr Belleisle) by 6&4
Louis Fleming (Haggs castle) beat Ewan Milligan (Kilmarnock barassie) by 4&3
Chris McMillan (Bishopbriggs) beat John Lomas (Ayr Belleisle) by 3&2
Andrew Forbes (Haggs Castle) halved with Sean Addie (Ayr Belleisle)
Josh White (Bishopbriggs) lost to Jack Broun (Ayr Belleisle) by 9&7

GLASGOW   3.5    AYRSHIRE   4.5

In the other match held on Sunday 19th August, Stirlingshire beat defending champions Renfrewshire 6 - 2 at Kilsyth Lennox, to end Renfrewshire's hopes of retaining the title.

The current West Of Scotland Under 18 Inter County League positions are:-

Area P W L D F A Pts

Ayrshire                 4 4 0 0 19.5 12.5 8

Stirlingshire 4   3 1 0 21 11       6

Renfewshire 4   2 2 0 17 15       4

Lanarkshire 3 1 2 0 10 14       2

Dumbartonshire 3 1 2 0    9.5 14.5    2

Glasgow                  4 0 4 0 11 21 0

Strlingshire are now the only team other than Ayrshie who can now win the title, with their final match being an away fixture against Dumbartonshire at cardross on Sunday 2nd September.

Ayrshire's final match in the series will be on Sunday 2nd September when they host Renfrewshire at Brunston Castle GC, in the knowledge that a half match or better will see them win the Wishart Trophy and league title for only the second time, their sole previous win being in 1996.