AYRSHIRE JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE - 2021 competitions progress towards semi final stages

The various Ayrshire Junior Golf League competions for 2021 are under way and progressing towards the semi final stages.

In the AYRSHIRE JUNIOR GOLF LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP a number of results have bee posted in one of the two qualifying sections, the winners of which will contest the final in September.

In Group A, Irvine lead the way after home wins by 4.5 - 1.5 and 3.5 - 2.5 over West Kilbride and Kilmarnock Barassie respectively, and a 3 - 3 draw away to Kilmarnock Barassie, whilst Kilmarnock Barassie kept their slim title hopes alive with a 3.5 - 2.5 home win over West Kilbride.

With only West Kilbride's two home matches left to play in the section, irvine only need to avoid defeat to secure their place in the final of the championship this season.

Present positions in Group A are:-

Results so far in Groun B, involving Troon Welbeck, Ayr Belleisle and Prestwick St Nicholas, have still to be confirmed.

In the UNDER 16 KNOCKOUT TROPHY competition, Prestwick St Nicholas were awarded a walkover by Turnberry, and progress to the semi finals.

The other quarter final ties are:-

Caprington Vs West Kilbride

Troon Welbeck Vs. Prestwick St Cuthbert

Ayr Belleisle Vs. irvine

In the scratch team knockout competition for the WALLACE THORNTON TROPHY, the initial draw saw Irvine receive a bye into the semi finals.

In the other quarter final matches Prestwick St Nicholas and Kilmarnock Barassie drew 2 - 2 at St Nicholas but the Kilmarnock Barassie team won 3 - 1 in the home leg to progress to the semi finals, and it was a similar tale in the tie between Ayr Belleisle and Troon Welbeck, with the Welbeck team progressing to the last four following a 2 - 2 draw away from home and a 3 -1 win in the return match.

The result of the tie between West Kilbride and East Ayrshire has still to be confirmed.

In the CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TROPHY competition, there were four first round ties, which all resulted in home wins.

David Blyth (Ballochmyle) beat Harvey Broadfoot (Troon Welbeck) by 2&1

Dylan Cairns (Prestwick St Nicholas) beat Rhys McIlroy (Turnberry) by 5&4

Kerr Brooks (Loudoun) beat Connor Wills (Prestwick St Nicholas) by 4&3

Ryan Kennedy (Irvine) beat Scott Newman (West Kilbride) by 2&1

These results leave the quarter final line up  as:-

David Blyth (Ballochmyle) Vs. Ruben Lindsay (Ayr Belleisle)

Dylan Cairns (Prestwick St Nicholas) Vs. Cameron Shanks (Caprington)

Kerr Brooks (Loudoun) Vs. Ross McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie)

Ryan Kennedy (Irvine) Vs. Jack Allan (Ballochmyle)

The finals of all four finals will be held at Irvine Golf Club in September, The Under 16 Knockout and Wallace Thornton finals scheduled for Sunday the 5th and the Champion of Champions and League Championship finals due to take place on Sunday the 26th.

SCOTTISH MEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP - Ayrshire challenge ends in last 32 at Murcar

The Ayrshire challenge for the 2021 Scottish Men's Amateur Championship title ended at the last 32 stage on Thursday 29th July at Murcar Links, when the two players who won through the first round of the matchplay stages in the morning both lost in round 2 in the afternoon.
 

Four Ayrshire players qualified for the matchplay stages following the two strokeplay qualifying rounds earlier in the week, but only two progressed from the first round, Stuart Easton (Irvine) and Shaun Hedger (West Kilbride) recording single hole victories over Kenneth Macaskill (Auchterarder) and Aamar Saleem (New Club, St Andrews) respectively, to progress.

In round one, Robbie Muir (Kilmarnock Barassie) lost out by a single hole to William Squires (Kirkcudbright) whilst Alyx Murray (Prestwick St Nicholas) went down by 2&1 to Andrew R Ni (Murrayfield).

In the second round of matchplay on Thursday afternoon, Stuart Easton faced Lewis Irvine (Kirkhill) but lost out by 5&4, whilst Shaun Hedger was defeated 7&6 by Rory Franssen (Auchterarder)

SCOTTISH MEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP - Four Ayrshire players qualify for matchplay stages.

Four Ayrshire players are through to the matchplay stages of the 2021 Scottish Men's Amateur Championship, being held at Murcar and Portlethen from the 27th to the 1st of August.

The Ayrshire qualifiers were lead by Scottish internationalist Stuart Easton (Irvine) who had a 1 over par round on Wednesday to leave him on 6 under par over the two qualifying rounds, as he qualified in 8th place.

Shaun Hedger (West Kilbride) had a 1 under par second round to finish on 4 under par in total, and qualified in 21st place, whilst Robbie Muir (Kilmarnock Barassie) was 35th qualifier after a 1 over par second round left him on 2 under par overall.

The final Ayrshire qualifier was Alyx Murray (Prestwick St Nicholas) who was placed 46th after a 1 over par second round left him on 1 under par overall.

The cut for the 64 qualifiers for the matchplay stages fell at 1 over par, with three of the ten players on that score qualifying.

Jack Broun (Turnberry) and Michael Smyth (Royal Troon)  both finished on the cut mark, but failed to secure one of the three matchplay slots, after second rounds of 3 over par and 5 over par left them in 69th and 67th place respectively.

The other Ayrshire players who exited the tournament after the strokeplay qualifying rounds were:-

+ 3 - Sandy Buchanan (Prestwick St Nicholas)

+ 8 - Alastair Frood (Royal Troon)

+ 9 - Harvey McDonald (Ayr Belleisle)  

+14 - Liam Kirkham (Troon Welbeck)

+16 - Malcolm Pennycott (Whiting Bay/Royal Burgess)

+20 - Jim McCullagh (Kilmarnock Barassie)

+28 - John Bissett (Prestwick)

The first round of the matchplay stages, which will take place over the Murcar Links, begins on Thursday the 29th of July and the ties involving the four Ayrshire players are:-

Stuart Easton (Irvine) Vs. Kenneth Macaskill (Auchterarder)

Alyx Murray (Prestwick St Nicholas) Vs. Andrew R Ni (Murrayfield)

Robbie Muir (Kilmarnock Barassie) Vs. William Squires (Kirkcudbright)

Shaun Hedger (West Kilbride) Vs. Aamar Saleem (New Club, St Andrews)

SCOTTISH AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP - Seven Ayrshire players under par after opening strokeplay round

Seven Ayrshire players recorded scores under par after the opening round of the 2021 Scottish Men's Amateur Championship, being held at Murcar and Portlethen from the 27th of July to the 1st of August.

Stuart Easton (Irvine) lies second in the standings at 7 under par, followed by Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) on 4 under par.

The trio of Sandy Buchanan (Prestwick St Nicholas), Robbie Muir (Kilmarnock Barassie) and Shaun Hedger (West Kilbride) are on 3 under par  

One shot further back, on 2 under par, are \Alyx Murray (Prestwick St Nicholas) and the new Ayrshire Strokeplay champion Jack Broun (Turnberry).

Following the opening two strokeplay rounds over the Murcar and Portlethen courses, the top 64 players will progress to the matchplay stages.

The other Ayrshire scores after round one are:-

+ 3 - Harvey McDonald (Ayr Belleisle)

+ 8 - Alastair Frood (Royal Troon)

+ 9 - Jim McCullagh (Kilmarnock Barassie)

+ 9 - Malcolm Pennycott (Whiting Bay / Royal Burgess)

+13 - Liam Kirkham (Troon Welbeck)

+15 - John Bissett (Prestwick)

The second round of the strokeplay qualifying takes place on Wednesday the 28th of July.

NEW CUMNOCK GC OPEN COMPETITION - Entries now invited

Entries are invited for this year's New Cumnock Golf Club open competition, which takes place over the Lochside course on Sunday the 22nd of August 2021

Sponsored by the RAD group, the 18 hole event has prizes for scratch and two handicap categories along with nearest the hole and long driving prizes.

Entry is £10 and places can be secured by contacting the club Match Secretary, via the contact details on the event poster.

AYRSHIRE BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP - Draw published for Ballochmyle

The initial draw for order of play for the 2021 Ayrshire Boys Championship, to be played on Thursday the 5th of August at Ballochmyle GC, has been published.

Entries are still being accepted until Sunday the 1st of August.

Copies of the entry form can be downloaded via the link on the left of this page, under the 'Juniors' heading, and these can be emailed to the Area Secretary at ayrshire.golf@btinternet.com . 

On line payment details will be forwarded by return.

Any potential additional entrant should be aware that entries for the competition will not be accepted on the day of the event.

The draw as it stands at present is :-

 

U.S. JUNIOR AMATUER CHAMPIONSHIP - Ruben Lindsay misses cut for matchplay rounds at Pinehurst

Ruben Lindsay (Turnberry) missed out by two shots in the qualifying rounds for the matchplay stages f the 2021 U.S. Junior Amatuer Championships, which were held from the 19th ot the 25th of July at the Country Club of North Carolina, at Pinehurst.

Rounds of 77 and 72 in the two strokeplay qualifying rounds, over the Dogwood and Cardinal courses, left Ruben on a six over par total of 149 which fell just two shots outside the cut mark of four over par.

Feloow Scot Cameron Adam also failed to make the matchplay stages, finishing on nine over par in the strokeplay qualifying rounds.

In an all American final, Nicholas Dunlap of Huntsville, Alabama, beat Cohen Trolio of West Point, Missouri by 3 & 2  

SCOTTISH GOLF PERFORMACE PROGRAMME - Applications for 2021 - 2022 now invited

Applications for the 2021 - 22 Scottish Golf Performance Programme have now opened and players who meet the following eligibility guidelines are invited to apply for the performance programme. 

Criteria are based on age of the player on 01/01/2022

 

Boys & Men

Under 16 (born on or after 1st January 2006)

Handicap 3.0 or less

Under 18 (born on or after 1st January 2004)

Handicap 0.0 or less and in top 1500 of World Amateur Golf Rankings

Over 18 transition (born between 1st January 2001 and 31st December 2003)

In top 1000 of World Amateur Golf Rankings

Over 18 

In top 500 of World Amateur Golf Rankings

Girls & Women

Under 16 (born on or after 1st January 2006)

Handicap 8.0 or less

Under 18 (born on or after 1st January 2004)

Handicap 2.5 or less and in top 2000 of World Amateur Golf Rankings

Over 18 Transition (born between 1st January 2001 and 31st December 2003)

In top 1500 of World Amateur Golf Rankings

Over 18 

In top 500 of World Amateur Golf Rankings

 

The following additional factors will also be taken into consideration.

- Player application form

- Improving profile of results in National/International Championships

- Improving key playing statistics recorded in Golf Data Lab (GDL) (if applicable)

More information can be found on the Scottish Golf website at

https://scottishgolf.org/performance-homepage/2021-performance-programme/

Applications will close on 20th August.

AYRSHIRE SCRATCH LEAGUES - Largs in promotion bid as they secure play off spot in Division 2

Largs have secured the play off spot in Division 2 of the Ayrshire Scratch Leagues, as they bid to gain promotion to Division 1 next season.

In DIVISION 1, Prestwick St Cuthbert boosted their title hopes, and moved to the top of the table, after they followed a 3 – 3 draw away to defending champions Loudoun with a crushing 5 – 1 home win over league leaders Irvine in their penultimate home fixture of the campaign.

With 12 results still to be posted in Division 1, the present positions are:-

	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Prestwick St Cuthbert	8	4	2	2	28	20	8	20
Irvine	6	3	2	1	20	16	4	16
Loudoun	6	2	3	1	20	17	3	14
Kilmarnock (Barassie)	6	1	3	2	16	20	-4	10
Turnberry	5	1	2	2	13	18	-5	8
Ballochmyle	5	0	2	3	12	18	-6	4

 

In DIVISION 2, Largs beat Troon Portland by 4.5 – 1.5 at Largs in the one fixture played recently, which secured a play off spot for Largs at the end of the season, with the chance of winning promotion to Division 1 next season.

With just two fixtures remaining to be completed, present positions in Division 2 are:-

	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Royal Troon	8	6	0	2	28	20	8	24
Largs	7	4	1	2	25	17	8	18
Caprington	8	3	1	4	26	22	4	14
Troon St Meddans	6	2	0	4	14	22	-8	8
Troon Portland	7	2	0	5	15	27	-12	8

 

In DIVISION 3a, West Kilbride have moved into pole position following a 3 – 3 draw away to Prestwick St Nicholas and a 4.5 – 1.4 win away from home against previous league leaders Ayr Belleisle.

With seven fixtures remaining to be completed, the chase for the play off place, and promotion to division 2 next season, is wide open in Division 3a, where the present placings are:-

	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
West Kilbride	5	3	1	1	18	13	5	14
Ayr Belleisle	5	3	0	2	16	15	1	12
Girvan	5	2	1	2	17	14	3	10
Prestwick St Nicholas	5	2	1	2	14	16	-2	10
Redburn	6	1	1	4	15	22	-7	6

 

In DIVISION 3b, just the fixture between Irvine Ravenspark and Ardeer remains to be completed, with Rowallan Castle already promoted to division 2 next season, and awaiting the winners of Division 3a to play off for the Division 3 title this season.

Present positions in Division 3b are:-

	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Rowallan Castle	6	5	0	1	24	13	11	20
Routenburn	6	3	0	3	15	21	-6	12
Irvine Ravenspark	5	1	1	3	15	15	0	6
Ardeer	5	1	1	3	13	18	-5	6