AYRSHIRE MATCH-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

AYRSHIRE MATCH-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

 Quarter-final results

FROM THE AYRSHIRE GOLF WEBSITE

The quarter-finals of the 2016 Ayrshire matchplay Championship were completed at Western Gailes on Tuesday night, with players enjoying slightly less breezy and slightly warmer conditions that the previous evening.

The first match saw two times winner Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle) take on former Ayrshire Boys Champion Jack Thomas (Irvine).

Three opening pars and a birdie 3 at the fourth hole saw Hamilton take a three-hole lead early in the match but a par four at the fifth and a birdie 4 at the following hole allowed Thomas to reduce the deficit to one by the turn The inward half proved tight with only two holes exchanged by the 16th, leaving Hamilton still one in front.

 A birdie 3 at the 16th saw Thomas square the match for the first time since the opening hole, but Hamilton finished with successive pars and this was enough for a two-hole win and a place in the semi-finals.

The second match out was between Graeme Gimson (Prestwick St Cuthbert) and John Shanks (Irvine)

 
The players matched each other over the opening three holes but a birdie 3 at the fourth followed by a concession at the fifth gave Shanks a two-hole advantage. The next two holes were exchanged before a further concession saw Shanks tale a three-hole lead after eight.
Shanks could manage only a bogey five at the ninth which allowed Gimson to reduce the deficit to two holes at the turn.
Gimson took the 12th and 14th to square the match, only to fall behind again when Shanks had a birdie 2 at the 15th. With both players finishing with three successive pars,  Shanks secured a narrow victory by one hole and progressed to the last four.

Defending champion Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) faced Shaun Hedger (West Kilbride) in the third tie of the night.

Some erratic driving early on from Hedger saw Smyth lead by three after four holes but a lost ball by Smyth at the sixth allowed Hedger to reduce his lead to two and a winning par four at the ninth by Hedger saw the players turn for home with Smyth one ahead.
A par 4 at the 11th was good enough for Hedger to win the hole and square the match and the two players matched each other over the next five holes to leave them still all square with two to play.

At the 17th, Hedger was through the back in two whileSmyth played an excellent approach to the centre of the green. Hedger chipped on but could do nothing more as Smyth holed his putt for a winning birdie 3 and a one-hole lead with one to play.
Hedger hit an enormous drive at the 377yd closing hole, to within yards of the green, but was unable to get up and down for the birdie needed to win the hole and take the match into overtime, with Smyth matching Hedger's closing par four to win the tie by one hole.

The final match on the course saw Alan McLean (Kilbirnie Place) up against Adrian Orton (Kilmarnock Barassie).

One under par after five holes, for the second successive evening, saw Orton lead by four holes. Although a superb birdie 4 by McLean at the sixth reduced Orton's advantage to three holes, the Barassie player restored his four-hole lead at the seventh with a birdie 2.
At the eighth Orton found the burn with his second and the resultant bogey 5 allowed McLean to reduce the lead to three once more, only to see Orton finish the half with another birdie 3 to restore his four hole advantage at the turn which he reached with two-under-par figures.

Orton let some shots slip over the opening three holes of the inward nine and McLean took advantage, winning the 10th and 12th to reduce the deficit to two holes, but a solid par 3 from Orton at the 13th after McLean had found a bunker from the tee allowed Orton to stem the flow and restore a three-hole advantage with five to play.
The 14th was halved in par 5s, both players hitting the hole with their birdie attempts, and at the 15th, McLean again showed his mettle, taking the hole with a par three 3 Orton was bunkered from the tee.
Two up with three to play, Orton produced his best drive of the night at the 16th, splitting the fairway and leaving himself a short chip from the green while McLean found a bunker on the left of the fairway from the tee.
With McLean unable to make better than a 5 and Orton safely on the green in two, Orton rolled his birdie attempt to the hole side, prompting a conceded 4 by McLean, and giving him a 3 and  2 victory in the tie.

The semi finals took place night (5pm start) at Western Gailes,

Craig Hamilton Vs John Shanks

Michael Smyth Vs Adrian Orton

On Thursday, we'll bring you the Ayrshire Golf website report of the semi-finals