RENFREWSHIRE NAME SQUAD FOR BLAIRGOWRIE

RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION PRESS RELEASE

By DON BREMNER

turnberry.db@gmail.com

Renfrewshire Golf Union’s team manager Ronnie Clark has announced his squad to compete in the Scottish area team championship at Blairgowrie Golf Club to be held at Blairgowrie Golf Club on May 19-20.

The team is: Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle), Matt Clark and Andy Farmer (both Kilmacolm), Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs), Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) and Ronnie Clark (Erskine). 

Michael Daily (Erskine) is first reserve.

Sam Binning knows the Lansdowne course well, having been runner-up in the Scottish boys’ stroke-play championship at that venue in 2008. Both Matt Clark and Craig Watson have performed well in the season’s opening events.  Ronnie Clark showed that he had fully recovered from injuries sustained last year with a third place in the recent Edward Trophy and Gordon Stevenson’s play-off for the Irish Amateur Open trophy last year will stand him in good stead as Renfrewshire attempt to add the Scottish trophy to the West of Scotland trophy which already graces the cabinet.

Presentation of the Champions Trophy – RGU President Ian McCosh, Paul Reilly, sponsor Ian Laing, Furhan Iqbal and Jim Murray - captain of Paisley Golf Club.

PAUL REILLY IS CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

The Greenlaw Garage Champion of Champions is a match play competition involving the junior club champions of all the clubs in the Renfrewshire Golf Union.

This year’s final at Paisley Golf Club was between Paul Reilly, the Kilmacolm champion, and Furhan Iqbal representing Gleddoch Golf Club.

Seventeen year old Paul, the defending Champion of Champions and fresh from his great run at the Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish boys' match-play championship, had progressed to the final with wins over Greenock’s Robbie Wilkie, Connor Toal of Old Ranfurly and a great semi final victory over Euan Waugh of Whitecraigs by 4 and 3.

Furhan overcame Jordan Black (Port Glasgow), and had a narrow win against much fancied Colin Edgar of Cochrane Castle by 2 and 1 before tackling Alistair McNaughton of Caldwell. 

A comfortable 5 and 4 victory got him to the final.

Paul took early control of the match with a win at the first and a superb birdie at the third hole put him two up. A win at the eighth followed by an easy birdie at the ninth saw Paul four up at the turn.  Although Furhan fought back and narrowed the deficit, the writing was on the wall and he shook Paul’s hand at the 15th after a match of quality and one which reflected the true spirit of the game.