AYRSHIRE JUNIOR ORDER OF MERIT - Latest positions in the chase for the 2019 title

With nine events remaining to be played, and the results of one more still to be confirmed, the chase for the 2019 Ayrshire Junior Order of Merit title is well under way.

At the Byrne Howard Junior Open at Royal Troon at the end of June, Freya Russell (Royal Troon) created a bit of history by becoming the first girl to take top points from a counting event after returning a scratch score of 74, which matched the CSS, against the best return from a boy, by Alyx Murray (Prestwick St Nicholas) of 75 which was two above the boys CSS.

Other top points scorers recently were Fraser Russell (Royal Troon) with a scratch 68 in the Cliff Francis Junior Open at Troon Darley, Patrick Smiley (Prestwick St Nicholas) with a scratch 72 at Largs, Ben Watson (Kilmarnock Barassie) with a scratch 67 at Loudoun and Patrick Smiley again with a scratch 73 at West Kilbride.

At the Scottish Boys Championship, Ruben Lindsay (Ayr Belleisle) secured maximum points with his championship win and moved straight up to third place in the Order of Merit table whilst Freya Russell and Rachel Foster (Prestwick St Nicholas) gained points in the Scottish Girls Championship for their semi final appearances, Russell moving into fourth place in the table as a result.

With his two first places Patrick Smiley lies in second place, just behind Ross McDonald (Kilmanrock Barassie) who leads  courtesy of a consistent number of good finishes, including second place at West Kilbride and joint second at the recent Ayrshire Boys Championship.

Kerr Brooks (Irvine) moved up to fifth place overall following his recent Ayrshire Boys Championship win.

The results are still awaited for the Tom Lehman Junior Open at the Troon Municipal courses, played on 30th July, whilst the next counting events are the Turnberry Junior Open on Monday 5th August, The Ayr Belleisle Junior Open on Thursday 8th August and the Prestwick Junior Open on Friday 9th August.

The present positions in the Ayrshire Junior Order of Merit are:-

252.5		ROSS McDONALD	Kilmarnock Barassie
250		PATRICK SMILEY	Prestwick St Nicholas
250		RUBEN LINDSAY	Ayr Belleisle
227.5		FREYA RUSSELL	Royal Troon
177.5		KERR BROOKS	Irvine
175		BEN WATSON	Kilmarnock Barassie
150		DYLAN CAIRNS	Prestwick St Nicholas
147.5		JACK ALLAN	Ballochmyle
132.5		HARVEY BROADFOOT	Troon Welbeck
120		FRASER RUSSELL	Royal Troon
107.5		JAMIE McKINNON	Caprington
100		RACHEL FOSTER	Prestwick St Nicholas
85		JOHN McCRACKEN	Kilmarnock Barassie
75		ALYX MURRAY	Prestwick St Nicholas
50		CAMERON SHANKS	Caprington
45		CAMERON JOHNSTONE	Kilmarnock Barassie
35		CONNOR WILLS	Prestwick St Nicholas
20		ROB YORSTON	Loudoun
10		ALEX DEAN	Irvine
10		CHRISTOPHER HUNTER	Ballochmyle
7.5		BEN WATT	Prestwick St Nicholas
2.5		EUAN RAMSAY	Prestwick St Nicholas
2.5		CAMERON McGARVIE	Prestwick St Nicholas
2.5		JOSH DAVIES	Troon Welbeck
2.5		KYLE REID	Irvine