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Friday, September 07, 2018

SCOTTISH MEN'S AREA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - Broun and Smyth lead the way as Ayrshire secure top qualifying spot at Cawder

Jack Broun (Turnberry) & Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) led the way as the six strong Ayrshire team claimed the top qualifying spot in the Scottish Men’s Area Team Championship at Cawder GC on Friday 7th September.

With the best five of the six individual rounds on each of the two courses counting towards the team total, Ayrshire finished in first place on 4 under par in total, a single shot ahead of Glasgow in second place.

Jack Broun was the best scoring Ayrshire player over the two rounds, his seven under par total sharing the best individual return of the day with two other players.

Michael Smyth got Ayrshire off to a great start over the Kier course in the morning, a blemish free round which included birdies at the 3rd, 7th, 9th, 10t, 11th and 16th adding up to an excellent six under par round of 62.

In the morning over the Kier course Scott Brown (Prestwick St Cuthbert) had a mixed round with five bogeys and five birdies en route to a level par 68 and Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle) added a 73.

On the Cawder course in the morning, Jack Broun had an outstanding inward nine to post a four under par score of 66 and put Ayrshire in a strong position. One over par at the turn, with bogeys at the second and the fifth and a birdie two at the eighth, Broun’s score was kick started with a superb eagle three at the par five eleventh which was followed with birdies at the twelfth, fourteenth and seventeenth.

John Shanks (Irvine) added a one over par 71 in the morning on the Cawder course, with a fine finish which included a birdie at the seventeenth and a great up and down for a par at the last, whilst Sandy Buchanan (Prestwick St Nicholas), making his debut in the event, carded a four over par 74 which would have been better but for a double bogey at the penultimate hole. Despite the late setback, Buchanan’s score ultimately added to the team’s fine total over the qualifying rounds.

In the afternoon, Jack Broun continued where he had left off in the morning, carding birdies on the first four holes of the Kier course en route to a three under par round of 65.

John Shanks carded two birdies and two bogeys for a level par 68 in the afternoon whilst Sandy Buchanan had two bad holes at the start of the inward nine in the afternoon which led to a six over par score of 74 which proved to be the discarded score for the team total over the Kier course.

On the Cawder course in the afternoon, Michael Smyth had a run of three bogeys midway through his opening nine but rallied with two birdies in the back nine to card a one over par 71.

Craig Hamilton posted the best of the afternoon scores on the Cawder course for Ayrshire with an eagle two at the ninth and birdies at the tenth and sixteenth only being marred by a double bogey six at the fourteenth, on his way to a two under par score of 68.

Scott Brown had a poor outward half in the afternoon, four bogeys, a double bogey and a single birdie contributing to an outward 41. Brown did however rally in the second nine, one bogey and one birdie contributing to an inward nine of 35 for a total of 76.

At the end of the two qualifying rounds, all six Ayrshire players had contributed to the team total of 686 and first place amongst the eight qualifiers for the matchplay stages.

The team totals and final placings were:-
686 – Ayrshire
687- Glasgow
688 – Stirlingshire
690 – Fife
691 – Lanarkshire
692 – North east
701 – North
707 – Borders

708 – Dumbartonshire
712 – South Of Scotland
713 – Angus
715 – Perth & Kinross
715 – Lothians
719 – Renfrewshire
743 – Clackmannanshire
753 – Argyll & Bute

In the quarter finals on Saturday morning, consisting of four singles and one foursomes tie, Ayrshire will face Borders for a place in the semi finals which take place in the afternoon.

The other quarter final ties are:-

Fife v Lanarkshire
Stirlingshire v North-east
Glasgow v North 

After the semi finals are completed on Saturday afternoon, the final of the event will take place on Sunday 9th September with three foursomes ties in the morning and six singles in the afternoon.

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