Welbeck team up for title first

May 1 2009

TROON Welbeck won the Matt Lygate Trophy and title of Ayrshire boys team champions for the first time, pipping 14 clubs at Ardeer.

Led by 2008 Ayrshire Boys' Championship runner-up, Sam Findlater, who shot 78, the team of Charles MacNeill, Callum Beveridge and David Wilson fired a winning total of 227.

Ardeer's Daniel Forbes, Joseph Howie, Michael Howie and Richard Wyllie were six adrift but had the best net team total and won the Andrew D. Nimmo Trophy.

Runners-up in the scratch championship were West Kilbride's Cameron McLean, Kieran Howie, Fraser McKay and Ross Hunter, who scored 242.

David Wilson (Welbeck) won the Prestwick Circuits Trophy for the best scratch score of 72. Joseph Howie (Ardeer) won the Carrick Trophy for the best net score of 66, off eight.

The 0-9 handicap class was won by Craig Telfer (St Cuthbert) with (4) 69 while the 10-18 handicap class was won on the better inward half by Craig McClure (New Cumnock) with (18) 71.

lFOUR Ayrshire players are in the Scottish Seniors Open Strokeplay Championship at Panmure from May 19 to 21.

Turnberry's John Broadfoot and Ronnie McLellan are joined by Keith Howie (West Kilbride) and Jim Bunting (Ballochmyle).

lNINE Ayrshire players are included in a capacity field for the new Scottish Seniors Spring Open at Glasgow Gailes on May 14 and 15. For the first time in the seniors tour, players have been balloted out due to the popularity of the event.

Taking part are William Moore (Ravenspark), John Broadfoot (Turnberry), Tony Stafford (St Meddans), Alistair Nicol (Troon Portland), Jim Bunting (Ballochmyle), Ronnie McLellan (Turnberry), Keith Howie (West Kilbride), John Campbell (West Kilbride) and Peter Grey (Brunston).

lBEITH opened their bid for the Ayrshire Summer League with a 6-0 home win over Kilmarnock Barassie). The return is at Barassie on May 25.

lAYRSHIRE girls shared the spoils in their first friendly of the season against South of Scotland at Stranraer.

South names first: Katie McCracken halved with Gillian Arnott; Rachel Walker beat Linzi Allan 4&3; Amy Little halved with Hannah Gaunt; Vicky Wright lost to Mhairi McKay by one hole; Emma Greenlees beat Connie Jaffrey 4&2; Katie Wright lost to Katie McGarva by one hole.

lAYRSHIRE Fourball Championship: Gordon Hamilton and Martin Spence (Loudoun) beat Brian and Eric Armour (Abbotsford) 2&1 and now entertain John Fleming and Gordon Bettany (Saxone).

Stuart and David Brown (Doon Valley) beat Gary Ross and James Brown (North Beach) 3&2 and now entertain Ian Currie and Robert Williamson (Crosshouse). A. Dunlop & J. Brown (Brunston) beat Scott Moore and Barry Calder (Ravenspark) 3&2.

lBARASSIE youngster Jack McDonald followed his run to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Boys’ Championship at Royal Aberdeen with a winning debut in the SGU Junior Tour event at North Berwick.

He fired rounds of 74 and 68 to pip Simon Fairburn (Gala) by a shot. Marc Smith (Welbeck) scoring 152 while Andrew Wright (Kilmarnock Barassie) returned 154.

lTHE two qualifying sections in the Wallace Thornton Trophy were decided at the Ayrshire Boys' Team Championship with the big shock being the failure of Kilmarnock Barassie, who have won for the last six successive years, to qualify for one of the ten sectional places.

Section one: Welbeck, West Kilbride, Largs, Caprington, St Cuthbert; section two: Ardeer, Loudoun, Belleisle, Ravenspark and Ballochmyle.

Matches will be played on a home or away basis over the summer with the winners of the two qualifying sections playing off in September.