North-east thrash title-holders

Ayrshire on their home patch

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
North-east took a big step towards a place in the Scottish men’s area amateur team golf championship semi-finals by travelling down to Largs today and thrashing title-holders Ayrshire 8 ½- ½.
It was a tremendous follow-up to their 6-3 home win over Borders in their opening Group A match and means North-east are odds-on favourites to top the section and go through to the last four who will play off at Crail, Fife on Saturday, October 3 for a place in the final at the same venue on the following day.
North-east took a firm grip on the outcome at Largs by winning the foursomes 3-0 and James Byrne (Banchory) and Philip McLean (Peterhead) stretched that lead to 5-0 with wins in the top two singles.
Byrne, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, was in excellent form as he won by 7 and 6 over George Robertson in the No 1 tie.
Anthony Bews (Murcar Links was held to a square match by Scott Brown before wins by Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon), Laurie Phillips (Cruden Bay) and Mark Halliday (Royal Aberdeen) completed a lopsided scoreline that not even North-east could have anticipated.
North-east have a team problem of a kind for their final Group A match against Stirlingshire at Murcar Links on September 20. New Scottish men's champion David Law (Hazlehead) and Bryan Innes (Murcar Links), whom David beat in the semi-final at Troon, were not available for today's trip to Ayrshire - but they will be for the next match.
On the debit side, James Byrne will be back at Arizona State University by then.
"It's been a great weekend to cap a great week for North-east golf," said secretary George Young, father of the former British and Scottish boys champion Steven Young, who now lives and works as a club professional in Midland, Texas.
Grant Carnie (Newburgh) toppled No 1 seed Gavin Dear in the "Scottish" and David Law went to win the title at Royal Troon after being given a tough match by Bryan Innes in the semi-final.
In the other Group A tie today, Stirlingshire beat Borders 5-4 at Peebles.
Lothians' players' poor week of results in the Scottish amateur championship spilled over into their Group B home match against Lanarkshire who beat them 6 1/2- 2 1/2 at Mortonhall. In American sporting parlance, once mighty Lothians are 0 and 2 this season and have been eliminated from the sectional qualifying race.
In Group D, North suffered their second defeat. They were beaten 6 ½-2 ½ by Glasgow at Sandyhills and have no chance of topping the section.
Details:
GROUP A
AYRSHIRE ½, NORTH-EAST 8 ½
At Largs
Foursomes: Scott Brown & George Robertson lost to Anthony Bews & James Byrne 4 and 3; Tommy McInally & Jamie McKay lost to Mark Halliday & Adam Dunton 3 and 2; John Shanks & Steven Murray lost to Philip McLean & Laurie Phillips 3 and 2 (0-3).
Singles: Robertson lost to Byrne 7 and 6, McInally lost to McLean 3 and 2, Brown halved with Bews, McKay lost to Dunton 3 and 2, Murray lost to Phillips 5 and 4, Shanks lost to Halliday 4 and 3 (1/2-5 ½).
BORDERS 4, STIRLINGSHIRE 5
At Peebles.
HOW THEY STAND
North-east 6pt. Games won-lost difference: 11.
Stirlingshire 3pt. Games won-lost difference: 0.
Ayrshire 3pt. Games won-lost difference: -7.
Borders 0pt. Games won-lost difference: -4.
TO PLAY
September 20: Borders v Ayrshire (at Hawick), North-east v Stirlingshire (at Murcar Links)

GROUP B

LOTHIANS 2 1/2, LANARKSHIRE 6 1/2

At Mortonhall.

PERTH & KINROSS 7, ANGUS 2

At Blairgowrie.

HOW THEY STAND

Lanarkshire 6pt. Difference: 9.

Perth & Kinross 3pt. Difference: 0.

Angus 3pt. Difference -1.

Lothians 0pt. Difference: -8

TO PLAY

September 20: Lanarkshire v Angus (tbc), Perth & Kinross v Lothians (at Crieff).

GROUP C

ARGYLL & BUTE 2 1/2, CLACKMANNASHIRE 6 1/2
At Millport.
FIFE 4 1/2, RENFREWSHIRE 4 1/2
At Thornton.

HOW THEY STAND
Clackmannanshire 6pt. Difference: 6.
Renfrewshire 4pt. Difference: 4.
Fife 1pt. Difference: -2.
Argyll & Bute 0pt. Difference: -8.

TO PLAY
September 20: Argyll & Bute v Fife (tbc), Renfrewshire v Clackmannanshire (at Erksine).

GROUP D
DUNBARTONSHIRE 6 ½, SOUTH 2 ½
At Lenzie.
GLASGOW 6 ½, NORTH 2 ½
At Sandyhills.

HOW THEY STAND

Dunbartonshire 6pt. Difference: 6.

South 3pt. Difference 2.

Glasgow 3pt. Difference: -2.

North 0pt. Difference: -6.

TO PLAY

September 20: Dunbartonshire v Glasgow (at Cardross), North v South (at Nairn).

++ This will be the last Scottish area team championship played under a season-long sectional tables format. Look out for news on this website on Tuesday morning about the revamped format for 2010 which will be short and sharp and add a significant weekend of action to the Scottish Golf Union calendar.