Ayrshire golfers win at SGU Scottish Area Team Championship

May 28 2008 Ayrshire Post

AYRSHIRE golfers opened their challenge for the SGU Scottish Area Team Championship with a 5-4 win over Clackmannanshire at Braehead.

The winning team was Michael Stewart, Barry Crawford, John Cairney, Tommy McInally, Euan Brown and George Robertson with manager Ronnie Potts.

The morning foursomes was won 2-1 by Ayrshire and this ultimately proved decisive to the overall result.

Cairney and McInally set them on the road to victory with a 2&1 win over Clackmannanshire’s internationalists Steven Horne and Scott Borrowman, and with the other two foursomes resulting in one win and one defeat, Ayrshire took a one point lead into the afternoon singles.

Ayrshire struggled in the early stages of the singles, with the last three matches being down. Stewart increased the lead to 3-1 before Cairney lost on the last green to current Scottish cap Borrowman.

With Brown being beaten by 5&3, the match was tied before McInally restored the lead once again with a 2&1 victory.

Although behind early on, the last two Ayrshire players rallied and Robertson halved with former internationalist Horne before Crawford sealed a narrow win with a half in his tie.

The next round of matches take place on August 3 when Ayrshire play host to the North East.

Match details (Clackmannan names first): foursomes: Scott Borrowman & Steven Horne lost to John Cairney (Ravenspark) & Tommy McInally (Loudoun) 2&1; Ross Benvie & Jamie Aitken beat Euan Brown (Kilmarnock Barassie) & Michael Stewart (Welbeck) 4&3; Scott Moffat & Mike Rust lost to George Robertson (Ravenspark) & Barry Crawford (West Kilbride) 2&1.

Singles: Benvie lost to Stewart 4&2; Borrowman beat Cairney by 1 hole; Aitken lost to McInally 2&1; Moffat beat Brown 5&3; Horne halved with Robertson; Ross halved with Crawford.