AYRSHIRE MENS MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP - Shanks through to semi finals despite equipment blunder

The Lomond Property Ayrshire Men's Matchplay Championship at Western Gailes has reached the semi final stage, with the four quarter final matches being completed on Tuesday the 5th of May. 

John Shanks (Irvine) secured his semi final place with a single hole victory over Steven Stamper (Turnberry), despite going two holes behind at thre start of the match when he discovered at the second green that he had inadvertently put an extra wedge in his bag the previous evening, resulting in the loss of the opening two holes due to having too many clubs. Steven maintained his lead to the turn but by the penultimate hole John had turned the match around to lead by one, and halved the final two holes to move on to the semi finals by the narrowest of margins.

In the semi finals John Shanks will face Calum Nairn (Prestwick St Cuthbert) who prevailed against host club member Paul Moultrie (Royal Troon) in an excellent match.

Calum held a single hole lead playing th twelfth which was halved in bogeys, the first over par figures for each player during the round, before Calum took control of the match with a winning birdie four at the fourteenth and a winning par three at the fifteenth after Paul was unfortunate to see his tee shot go long and could only manage a bogey four. A great two putt on the undulating sixteenth green, holing his par putt from nine feet, saw calum secure the necessary halved hole for a 3&2 win in the match.

Harvey Broadfoot (Royal Troon) faced Tom Loy (Irvine) in the quarter finals and was always in control of the match, his superiour length from the tee being a telling factor that saw him charge to a 7 & 5 victory to book his semi final spot.

In the last quarter final tie on the course, Graeme Gimson (Prestwick St Cuthbert) needed extra holes to overcome Andy Gibson (Caprington) and book his place in the last four. Andy had the better of the opening nine, racing to a four hole lead after seven, and was still two ahead with three to play before Graeme took the sixteenth and seventeenth to level the match playing the eighteenth.Andy found the right had fairway bunker from the tee at the last while graeme narrowly avoided the bunker on the left, his tee shot coming to rest on the right bank of the hazard. Andy played a superb second to the left edge of the green and a fine approach putt secured the necessary half in four after Graeme narrowly missed his birdie putt, to take the match into extra holes.

At the first extra hole both players drove close to the green , and after their respective chips onto the green both missed their birdie putts to take the match to a second extra hole, in the fading evening light.

At the twentieth hole of the match Andy found the left bunker from the tee while Graeme found the right rough with his drive. While andy could only play out to the fairway with his second, then found a greenside bunker on the right with his third, Graeme played a fine second shot which was unlucky to run just past the hole and come to rest in a hollow to the back of the green. Andy played a great bunker shot to within a few inches of the hole, but Graeme was up to the challenge, his chip from the hollow coming to rest close enough to the hole to prompt a concession from Andy and  victory at the 20th hole in the match.

The semi finals on Wednesday evening see John Shanks play Calum nairn and Harvey Broadfoot up against Graeme Gimson, bidding for a place in Thursday's final.