WEST OF SCOTLAND INTER COUNTY UNDER 18 LEAGUES - Ayrshire make winning start to Wishart Trophy defence

The Ayrshire Under 18 team and officials at Ayr Belleisle

The Ayrshire Under 18 team made a winning start to their defence of the David Wishart Trophy and West of Scotland Under 18 Inter County League title on Sunday 12th May 2019, with victory over Lanarkshre at Ayr Belleisle.



In the opening fixture of the 2019 competition, which features Ayrshire, Dumbartonshire, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Stirlingshire, the Ayrshire introduced some new faces into the team who won the title last September.

The overall match looked close well into the closing holes of the course, though Ayrshire started strongly in the four Under 16 ties, taking 3.5 from a possible four points.

Dylan Cairns (Prestwick St Nicholas) and Fraser Russell (Royal Troon) both secured 2&1 wins in the lead ties and despite missing a short putt at the seventeenth to close out his match there also, Kerr Brooks (Irvine) dug deep to secure an excellent par five at the last to half the hole and win his tie by a single hole.

Josh davies (Troon Welbeck) ensured an unbeaten return from the under sixteen ties when he halved his match to give Ayrshire 3.5 of the 4.5 points needed for victory.

Kyle McCaig (West Kilbride) went down early on in his tie and despite battling on bravely, he eventually lost out by 6&5 to give Lanarkshire their first, and only, win of the day.

The successful Ayrshire team, and match officials

Ruben Lindsay (Ayr Belleisle) ensured an Ayrshire victory overall with a 4&3 victory in the anchor tie, and he was closely followed by Sean Addie in the penultimate tie of the match who secured a 2&1 win.

In the final tie on the course, Rob Yorston (Louodun) staged a remarkable comeback, coming from four down at one point to lead by one hole with two to play, before eventually settleing for a well earned and notable half match, to give Ayrshire victory in the overall match by 6 - 2.

Match details (Ayrshire names first):-

Dylan Cairns (Prestwick St Nicholas) beat Jay McFarlane (Bothwell Castle) by 2&1
Fraser Russell (Royal Troon) beat Rudy Brown (Kirkhill) by 2&1
Kerr Brooks (Irvine) beat Leo Wright (Bothwell Castle) by 1 hole
Josh Davies (Troon Welbeck) halved with James Gray (Colville Park)
Kyle McCaig (West Kilbride) lost to Scott Littlejohn (Colville Park) by 6&5
Rob Yorston (Loudoun) halved with Callum Steele (Colville Park)
Sean Addie (Ayr Belleisle) beat Joseph Steven (Bothwell Castle) by 2&1
Ruben Lindsay (Ayr Belleisle) beat Fraser Merriweather) (Carluke) by 4&3

AYRSHIRE     6   LANARKSHIRE    2

Next month the Ayrshire team are on the road when they travel to face Dumbartonshire at Dumbarton GC in the second of their five matches in this years competition.