Ayrshire men's match-play championship at Western Gailes
Shanks birdies his way to maiden title with 5 and 3 win over defending champion Smyth
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| 2016 Ayrshire Matchplay Champion John Shanks |
John Shanks (Irvine) won the Ayrshire match-play championship for the first time at Western Gailes this evening.
He beating defending champion Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) in the final.
After difficult cold and windy conditions n the first three nights of the championship, the finalists and spectators enjoyed excellent sunny conditions for the final
Three times winner Michael Smyth took an early lead when he put his second at the opening hole to six feet from the hole, while Shanks pulled his tee shot left, was short in two and took three more to get down for an untidy bogey 5.
The match soon settled into the close encounter everyone expected between the two county players. The next three holes were halved in par 4s to leave Smyth one ahead after four.
Smyth had the chance to extend his lead at the fifth with Shanks bunkered to the left of the green in two and unable to make better than a bogey 5.
After difficult cold and windy conditions n the first three nights of the championship, the finalists and spectators enjoyed excellent sunny conditions for the final
Three times winner Michael Smyth took an early lead when he put his second at the opening hole to six feet from the hole, while Shanks pulled his tee shot left, was short in two and took three more to get down for an untidy bogey 5.
The match soon settled into the close encounter everyone expected between the two county players. The next three holes were halved in par 4s to leave Smyth one ahead after four.
Smyth had the chance to extend his lead at the fifth with Shanks bunkered to the left of the green in two and unable to make better than a bogey 5.
However, Smyth's first put came up a few feet short and his
second putt spun out of the hole, allowing Shanks an unlikely half and
leaving just one hole between them in the match.
At the par five sixth hole, Smyth played an excellent second shot to just off the left edge of the green but Shanks followed him with an even better second which came to rest on the green, fifteen feet from the hole. Smyth chipped up close but was powerless as Shanks slotted home his eagle putt to square the match.
Both players found the green at the par three seventh from the tee, but whilst Shanks secured his par three, Smyth's first putt went three feet past and he missd the return to give Shanks the lead in the match for the first time.
At the eight hole John Shanks found a bunker on the left from the tee
whilst Smyth was in perfect position on the fairway, but good fortune
saw Shank's bunker shot land full in the burn in front of the green
before bouncing out backwards and coming to rest on the fairway just
short of the burn. Shanks took full advantage of his good fortune,
playing an excellent chip to a foot or so from the hole to give him an
unlikely par and allow him to half the hole and maintain his one hole
advantage in the match.
On the final hole of the outward half, Smyth misjudged his approach shot which came to rest long and right of the green, leaving him with a difficult chip back down to the hole, whilst Shanks' approach finished twenty five feet below the hole. Two putts from Shanks was good enough to take the hole with a winning par four, and extend his lead to two holes at the turn, after Smyth was unable to get up and down from the back of the green.
Smyth was in danger of letting his title slip from his grasp, and things looked bleaker for him when Shanks' approach at the tenth came to rest twelve feet from the hole, but Smyth produced one of his best shots of the night under pressure, his second shot coming to rest just three feet from the pin to set up a winning birdie and reduce the deficit to one hole, after Shanks' birdie effort failed to drop.
The 11th hole marked the start of a remarkable run of holes which would ultimately see Shanks storm to an impressive title win.
At the par five sixth hole, Smyth played an excellent second shot to just off the left edge of the green but Shanks followed him with an even better second which came to rest on the green, fifteen feet from the hole. Smyth chipped up close but was powerless as Shanks slotted home his eagle putt to square the match.
Both players found the green at the par three seventh from the tee, but whilst Shanks secured his par three, Smyth's first putt went three feet past and he missd the return to give Shanks the lead in the match for the first time.
On the final hole of the outward half, Smyth misjudged his approach shot which came to rest long and right of the green, leaving him with a difficult chip back down to the hole, whilst Shanks' approach finished twenty five feet below the hole. Two putts from Shanks was good enough to take the hole with a winning par four, and extend his lead to two holes at the turn, after Smyth was unable to get up and down from the back of the green.
Smyth was in danger of letting his title slip from his grasp, and things looked bleaker for him when Shanks' approach at the tenth came to rest twelve feet from the hole, but Smyth produced one of his best shots of the night under pressure, his second shot coming to rest just three feet from the pin to set up a winning birdie and reduce the deficit to one hole, after Shanks' birdie effort failed to drop.
The 11th hole marked the start of a remarkable run of holes which would ultimately see Shanks storm to an impressive title win.
A little right from the tee, Smyth played a fine
shot from a difficult lie to come up just short of the green in two,
whilst Shanks was short and left of the plateau green, just slightly
closer to the hole than Smyth. Playing first, Smyth chipped up to ten
feet, only to see Shanks chip in from forty feet for a winning birdie
three to restore his two hole advantage.
The position remained the same when both players had par fours at the following hole and at the thirteenth both players had excellent tee shots, Shanks finishing six feet away with Smyth just outside him, around eight feet from the hole. Smyth's effort pulled up just short of the hole and Shanks took advantage by holing his putt for a winning birdie two and a three hole lead.
Turning back towards the clubhouse, with the breeze slightly behind, the par five 14th was within range for both players in two shots.
The position remained the same when both players had par fours at the following hole and at the thirteenth both players had excellent tee shots, Shanks finishing six feet away with Smyth just outside him, around eight feet from the hole. Smyth's effort pulled up just short of the hole and Shanks took advantage by holing his putt for a winning birdie two and a three hole lead.
Turning back towards the clubhouse, with the breeze slightly behind, the par five 14th was within range for both players in two shots.
Smyth was unfortunate to see his second shot drift into the greenside
bunker on the right while Shanks' second pulled up forty yards from the
green, in the semi-rough. A superb chip to within two feet of the hole
set up a second successive winning birdie for Shanks after Smyth's brave
attempt saw his bunker shot finish six feet from the hole with his
birdie attempt just slipping past.
With a run of three birdies in four holes, Shanks stood on the par three 15th tee dormie four up in the match, and maintained the pressure on Smyth with a tee shot that covered the flag all the way, coming to rest twenty five feet past the hole.
With a run of three birdies in four holes, Shanks stood on the par three 15th tee dormie four up in the match, and maintained the pressure on Smyth with a tee shot that covered the flag all the way, coming to rest twenty five feet past the hole.
Smyth played an equally good tee
shot, which stopped just a little further from the hole, on the left of
the green. Smyth's birdie attempt slipped three feet past the hole
whilst Shanks rolled his birdie attempt to within eighteen inches of the
cup.
When Smyth failed to convert his par putt, he conceded Shanks'
putt for a 3, giving Shanks his first ever Ayrshire match-play title with a 5 and 3 victory, with excellent scoring of
three under par when the match ended.
At the conclusion of play, Ayrshire Golf Association President James McMurdo presented vouchers to both players before handing over the trophy and commemorative medal to the 2016 Ayrshire matchplay Champion John Shanks.
At the conclusion of play, Ayrshire Golf Association President James McMurdo presented vouchers to both players before handing over the trophy and commemorative medal to the 2016 Ayrshire matchplay Champion John Shanks.
Labels: COUNTY NEWS
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, May 05, 2016
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