Troon Welbeck and Ardeer retain Ayrshire boys' titles

Troon Welbeck and Ardeer retained the Matt Lygate and Andrew D. Nimmo Trophies at the Ayrshire boys' team championships at Troon Portland.
Troon Welbeck began the scratch event, for the Matt Lygate Trophy, as favourites. Fielding the lowest handicapped team of 14 competing clubs, they did not disappoint on their way to retaining the title of Ayrshire boys' team champions which they won for the first time at Ardeer 12 months ago.
Marc Smith returned an excellent two-under-par 69. David Wilson (75) and Charlie Macneal (77) provided the other two counting scores for the Welbeck team, with Calum Beveridge (80) posting a good fourth score, to be considered in the event of a tie.
The Welbeck team retained the Lygate Trophy by a 13-shot margin from their closest challengers, Kilmarnock Barassie whose team of Euan Henderson (83), Euan Walker (70), Callum Gorrie (81) and Blair Garven (89) combined for a scratch total of 234.
In the handicap competition, for the Andrew D. Nimmo Trophy and the handicap championship title, Ardeer set the early target with Robbie Fitzpatrick (67), Daniel Forbes (81), Sandy Walker (70) and Nick Carr (70) posting a net team total of 207.
This ultimately proved to be a winning score for Ardeer who retained the trophy won on their home course in 2009. The only real challenge came from the team from Irvine Golf Club as Chris Hobson (66), Greg Cathie (80), Stuart Easton (72) and Jack Thomas (70) came up only one stroke short of the winning score on 208.
In individual competition, Marc Smith took the Prestwick Circuits Trophy, for the best scratch score of the day, back to Troon Welbeck after his superb 69, following on from teammate David Wilson's win at Ardeer last year.
The Carrick Trophy, awarded to the player returning the best net score of the competition, was won by 12 handicapper Robert Montgomery (West Kilbride) who returned a six under par net score of 65 to take the trophy by one stroke.
The two handicap class vouchers were won by Chris Hobson (Irvine) with 75 - 9 = 66 and Matthew Smith (Loudoun) with 86 - 18 = 68.
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

TEAM SCRATCH
221 TROON WELBECK (Marc Smith, David Wilson, Charlie Macneal, Calum Beveridge)
234 KILMARNOCK BARASSIE (Euan Henderson, Euan Walker, Calum Gorrie, Blair Garven)
237 PRESTWICK ST CUTHBERT, ARDEER.
239 IRVINE.
241 AYR BELLEISLE.
242 WEST KILBRIDE.
244 PRESTWICK ST NICHOLAS.
248 BALLOCHMYLE.
253 TROON ST MEDDANS.
266 LARGS.
268 LOUDOUN.
288 SKELMORLIE.
204 IRVINE RAVENSPARK.

TEAM HANDICAP
207 ARDEER (Robbie Fitzpatrick, Daniel Forbes, Sandy Walker, Nick Carr)
INDIVIDUAL
Scratch
69 MARC SMITH (Troon Welbeck).
Handicap
65 ROBERT MONTGOMERY (West Kilbride) (12).
Class 1 (0-9)
66 CHRIS HOBSON (Irvine) (9) bih.
Class 2 (10-18).
68 MATTHEW SMITH (Loudoun) (18).