RENFREWSHIRE MAKE IT ELEVEN IN A ROW

RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION

                                

PRESS RELEASE

  

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Prestwick was the venue for Renfrewshire Golf Union’s “A” team’s challenge for yet another West of Scotland Inter Counties Championship where they faced a high quality Ayrshire team which was determined to put an end to Renfrewshire’s dominance.

The ten man team started badly with Ayrshire taking advantage of course knowledge to take the lead in six of the matches with Matt Clark (Kilmacolm), recently returned from representing Scotland in Turkey and suffering badly with a trapped nerve, going five down after five holes to Loudoun’s Tommy McInally.   

This was a match that Renfrewshire manager, David MacFarlane, had been counting on and heads were down as the top games all seemed to be going Ayrshire’s way.

Whitecraig’s Gordon Stevenson started to turn the tide as he fought back for a half match against Keith Hamilton but Jack McDonald from Barassie, one of Scotland’s most promising golfers, overcame the challenge of Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) and with Chris Kelly, Alistair McDougall and Ryan Mackenzie, in addition to Matt Clark, all down, it looked as if win eleven was slipping away.

There were great wins for Paul Alexander (Caldwell), Michael Daily (Erskine) and Bonnyton’s Grant Beaton, who has won all of his three matches this season, but it was Matt Clark, like a limping Lazarus, who shocked his opponent by clawing his way back into the match from five down with some inspired golf.  Having driven the par four sixteenth to get the match back to all square, Matt won the seventeenth and halved the last in three to get a point on the board which not even the most optimistic expected to see.

Team captain Ronnie Clark from Erskine had past Scottish Boy’s Champion, David Wilson as his opponent and this deciding match swung one way then the other before Ronnie showed his course management experience and some of the best golf of the day to win with a birdie on the seventeenth to remain undefeated for his five West of Scotland appearances.

David MacFarlane was delighted.  He said “In my first year as manager, I was under pressure to continue the winning run and all the players have given me a hundred percent.  We have a great pool of players in Renfrewshire and twelve in a row is now the target”

Full results:

AYRSHIRE 4 1/2, RENFREWSHIRE 5 1/2

Ayrshire players named first

Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) halved with Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs).

Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) bt Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 3 and 2.
Tommy McInally (Loudoun) lost to Matt Clark (Kilmacolm) 1 hole.
Stuart Robin (Prestwick St Nicholas) bt Chris Kelly (Bonnyton) 2 and 1.
David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) lost to Ronnie Clark (Eskine) 2 and 1.
Stephen Wallace (Prestwick St Cuthbert) lost to Paul Alexander (Caldwell) 5 and 4.
Stewart Spence (Irvine Bogside) lost to Michael Daily (Erskine) 5 and 4.
John Haggert (Loudoun) bt Alistair McDougall (Elderslie) 3 and 2.
Steven Stamper (Turnberry) lost to Grant Beaton (Bonnyton) 6 and 4.
Gordon Boyle (Turnberry) bt Ryan McKenzie (Erskine) 3 and 2.