WEST OF SCOTLAND INTER COUNTY UNDER 18 LEAGUE - Ayrshire open with 4 - 4 draw away to Renfrewshire

Ayrshire opened their defence of the West of Scotland inter county Under 18 league on Sunday the 27th of June with a hard fought 4 - 4 draw away to Renfrewshire at Fereneze GC.

With their first match of the season, at home to Glasgow, postponed last month due to COVID travel restrictions, the Ayrshire side had a difficult opening fixture in their bid to take the boys title for the third consecutive time.

In the four Under 16 ties, Ayrshire lost out by 3 - 1 though two of the ties were only lost on the final green and the other at the seventeenth.

With a robust effort needed from the four senior under 18 players, Fraser Russell was edged out on the penultimate green before both Jack Allan and John McCracken had comfortable 4 & 3 victories to bring the score back to 4 - 3 for Renfrewshire with one tie remaining on course.

In the anchor tie, Kerr Brooks (Loudoun) was all square playing the seventeenth and agonisingly saw his 4 foot, right to left, putt to win the hole lip out before holing from 30 feet on the final green for a winning birdie three, a single hole win in his tie and the crucial fourth point on the board for Ayrshire to secure a drawn match overall.

Next month, Ayrshire travel to Grangemouth on Sunday the 25th, too play Stirlingshire in their next fixture.

Match details (Ayrshire names first):-

Noah O’Brien (Royal Troon) lost to Sean Smith (Mearns Castle) by 1 hole

Harris Fleming (Royal Troon) lost to Ethan Lamb (Paisley) by 2 & 1

Rory Inglis (Royal Troon) beat Ross Anderson (Williamwood) by 2 holes

Ryan Kennedy (Irvine) lost to Tom Hepburn (Williamwood) by 2 holes

Fraser Russell (Royal Troon) lost to Stuart Dickson (Fereneze) by 2 & 1

Jack Allan (Ballochmyle) beat Euan Urquhart (Paisley) by 4 & 3

John McCracken (Kilmarnock Barassie) beat Drew Cleaver (Fereneze) by 4 & 3

Kerr Brooks (Loudoun) beat John Jack (Gourock) by 1 hole

AYRSHIRE  4  RENFREWSHIRE 4