Ayrshire seniors golfers set to chase championship title

Jul 11 2008 by Mike Wilson, Kilmarnock Standard

A BUMPER field will tee off in the Ayrshire Seniors Championship at Kilmarnock (Barassie) on Tuesday July 22.

The player returning the best net score on the day will win the Sandy Provan Trophy. There will also be a number of net prizes in age group categories.

Draw details: 0920- Ray Bruce (Bar) & Douglas McKinnon (Ballmyle); 0930: Len Anderson (Ballmyle) & David Bruce (Rvnspk); 0940: S. Buchert (West Kilb), L. Burke (Largs) & J. Brown (Bar); 0950: Jim Waddell (Bar), Jim McFarlane (Rvnspk) & George Harrison (Capgtn).

1000: Ron Harrison (Caprgtn, George Lindsay (Bar) & Houston Sim (Annhill); 1010: John Richardson (Caprgtn), William Houston (Walltown) & David Pitman (Welb); 1020: John Houston (Walltwn, Ian Cowell (Annhill) & John Johnstone (Caprgtn); 1030: Alan Muir (Caprgtn), Cameron Greer (West Kilb) & James Gourlay (Bell); 1040: Doug Hollingsworth (Bell), Danny Mullan (St C) & Allan Blackwood (Welb); 1050: A. Blackhall (Welb), Thomas Moore (Bogside) & Neil Black (Annhilll).

1100: Ronnie Potts (Rvnspk), George Robertson (West Kilb) & Charlie McGregor (Rvnspk); 1110: Thomas Denham (Annhill), Leslie Crawford (Bar) & Andy McAllister (Annhill); 1120: Thomas McKay (Annhill), Donald Love (West Kilb) & Alistair Kerr (Bar); 1130: David McMahon (Welb), John Beattie (Brodick) & Charlie McMurtrie (Annhill).

lTROON Welbeck, Kilmarnock Barassie, Ravenspark and Caprington are setting the pace in the Ayrshire Summer League.

League one (games and points): Welbeck 4-10, Annanhill 4-10, Belleisle 4-8, Moorpark 4-4. League two: Kilmarnock Barassie 4-16, West Kilbride 3-8, Dalmilling 3-4, Kilbirnie Place 4-0. League three: Ravenspark 4-10, Irvine Bogside 4-10, Ardeer 4-6, Ballochmyle 4-6. League four: Caprington 5-20, Loudoun 4-8, New Cumnock 4-4, Tam o’Shanter 5-4.

lPAUL MOULTRIE (Troon Portland) is the first player through to the semi finals of the Ayrshire Champion of Champions trophy competition.

He had a 5&4 win over his home course against Stuart Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie).

lKILMARNOCK (Barassie) are the first team through to the semi finals of the Ayrshire Junior Golf League Championship after edging out Caprington on points difference.

Section ‘C’ points: Killmarnock Barassie 14 (+5), Caprington 14 (+1), Ballochmyle 12, Ayr Dalmilling 8. Section ‘A’ (games and points): West Kilbride 5-16 (+12), Kilbirnie 5-16 (+11), Welbeck 6-12, New Cumnock 3-2, St Meddans 5-2. Section ‘B’: St Nicholas 4-12, Largs 4-10, Routenburn 5-8, Ravenspark 5-6, Ayr Belleisle 0-0. Section ‘D’: St Cuthbert 5-14, Ardeer 5-12, Loudoun 4-10, Annanhill 4-0.

lTROON Welbeck star Michael Welbeck helped Scotland secure first seed position in the European Men's Team Championship at The Royal Park Golf & Country Club, Turin.

He fired a two under par round of 70 in the second round of strokeplay, a six shot improvement for him on his first day effort. Scotland returned a team total of 698 shots, five ahead of Sweden and Germany. But the Scots met their match when they lost 4½-2½ to defending champions France

lAYRSHIRE under 18s bounced back from their opening defeat to Stirlingshire in the West Of Scotland Area Championship to win 5½ -2 ½ over a strong Lanarkshire side at Drumpellier.

Fraser Kerr was always behind in the opening match and eventually lost out by 3&2, but this was followed a string of fine victories by a relatively inexperienced Ayrshire side.

David Wilson set the tone with a 3&2 win before Marc Smith while Jack McDonald put them in a strong position with 4&3 and 2&1 victories respectively.

Colin Robinson held off a spirited comeback by Ian Anderson to record a one hole win before Michael Roos just failed to hang on to his hard earned lead, going down on the last green. Andrew Wright, fresh from his triumph in The Troon Links Championship, sealed it for Ayrshire with a 2&1 win over Ben Sloan. Boys' internationalist Kyle Smith, completed a fine afternoon with a halved match against Paul Shields.

Results: C. Ross (Kirkhill) beat Fraser Kerr (Kilmarnock Barassie) 3&2; E. Bradley (Mt Ellen) lost to David Wilson (Welbeck) 3&2; S. Wylie (Crow Wood) lost to Marc Smith (Kilmarnock) Barassie 4&3; G. Duncan (Shotts) lost to Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock) Barassie 2&1; I. Anderson (Colville Park) lost to Colin Robinson (Largs) one hole; C. Baird (Bothwell Castle) beat Michael Roos (West Kilbride) one hole; B. Sloan (Hamilton) lost to Andrew Wright (Kilmarnock Barassie) 2&1; P. Shields (Kirkhill) halved with Kyle Smith (Kilmarnock Barassie).

lTHE Ayrshire Fourball Championship is hotting up with quarter final ties due by August 10.

John Campbell and Robin Paton (West Kilbride) beat Campbell and Ross McCluskie (Crosshouse) by one hole and now face a home match against Archie McKie and Archie McKie jnr (Ravenspark).

Craig Murdoch and Andy Reid (Ayr Carrick) beat Alan Hayes and Chris Rimmer (Belleisle) and now face a derby against Charlie Bell and Andy Paton (Braehead).

Chris and Alan Bone (Loudoun) beat Graham McLaughlan and David Munro (Troon Portland) to set up a home tie against Mark Hyslop and Steven Bolland (Tam O'Shanter).

Quarter-finals: West Kilbride v Ravenspark; Braehead v Ayr Carrick; Irvine v Ballochmyle; Loudoun v Tam O'Shanter.

lSTEVEN McEWAN (Caprington) came within two shots of a play-off spot in the East of Scotland Open Amateur Championship at Lundin Golf Club. The championship was won, after a three way play off, by Rohan Blizard (Australia).

McEwan fired rounds of 72, 71, 68 and 74.

lJOHN CAIRNEY (Ravenspark) leads the race for the Ayrshire Order of Merit and the Doc Thom Salver, with five counting competitions still to be completed in August and September.

A top placing at the Seafield Open pushed Cairney to the top of the table, ahead of strokeplay winner Steven Wallace (St Cuthbert).

Leading totals: 205: J. Cairney; 157½: S. Wallace; 145: P. Moultrie; 137.5: C. Hamilton; 102½: M. Smyth; 100: J. Mackay, G. Rowan, J. Shanks; 78: S. McEwan; 75: D. Taylor, T. McInally, I. Walker; 70: A. Walker.

lWITH five of the 23 counting events completed, Michael Stewart (Welbeck) leads the Ayrshire Junior Order of Merit, courtesy of his Scottish Boys’ Championship win.

Points: 250: Michael Stewart (Welbeck); 187½: Scott Brown (Turnberry); 102½: Callum Stewart (Belleisle); 100: Sam Findlater (Welbeck); 62½: Scott Clark (Belleisle), Ciar Porciani (Turnberry); 50: Ciaran Byrne (New Cumnock); 42½: Scott Johnston (St C), David Wilson (Belleisle); 35: Alan Bruce (Kilmarnock Barassie), Craig Telfer (St C); 15: Sean Thorburn (Belleisle); 10: Declan Flood (Caprington); 5: David Brown (St C).

July sees a further ten counting events with the remaining eight scheduled for August.

lRENFREWSHIRE pipped Ayrshire for a place in the finals of the Scottish Women's County Championship at Inchmarlo later this year, after rained caused play to be abandoned on the afternoon of the final day of the West Jambouree at Hilton Park.

Both Ayrshire and Renfrewshire won the foursomes on the final day, against Lanarkshire and Dumbarton & Argyll respectively, but the afternoon singles were abandoned after torrential rain flooded the greens. Renfrewshire were declared the winners as a result, with two wins and a draw against Ayrshire's two wins and one defeat.

The best performing player of the tournament was Debbie Watt (Belleisle Ladies) who recorded five wins from five.

lTURNBERRY'S Scott Brown and Alan Bruce (Kilmarnock Barassie) reached the semi-finals of the West of Scotland Boys' Matchplay Championship.

Gavin Hay (Whitecraigs) beat Bryan Robertson (Renfrew) by one hole in the final.

Winner of the strokeplay championship was James Hendrick (Pollock) with a total of 144. Brown was third on 149.

In the handicap event, nine handicapper Cieran Byrne (New Cumnock) had the best net aggregate of the day with two rounds of 66.