FORMAT: 18-hole foursomes (x2) / 18-hole stroke play (3 out of 4 scores count)
Golf in Ayrshire is going through something of a resurgence and that was again evident at the Scottish Boys Area Championship at Dullatur.
The team of Harvey Broadfoot (Troon Welbeck), Max Barclay (Ayr Belleisle), Jack Allan (Ballochmyle) and Connor Wills (Royal Troon) combined to win by five shots ahead of The Lothians while the North were 11 shots back in third.
The county has invested heavily in its junior development programme and the victory on the Carrickstone course was Ayrshire’s first in the competition for 14 years.
In 2018 they also won the West of Scotland Boys League for the first time in more than two decades and this weekend must beat Dumbartonshire by a healthy margin to make it three in a row.
Team captain Scott Gilchrist has seen the county develop into a considerable force in Scottish junior golf and was delighted by the way the boys gelled.
“We had a great team spirit,” said Scott. “They were not there as individuals and it was really good to see how they dug in for each other.”
2022 Ayrshire Boys Stroke Play at Loudoun Golf Club
The format of the competition sees the boys pair up for foursomes in the morning before singles are played, with the three best scores counting in the afternoon.
At halfway Ayrshire shared the lead with The North with Jack and Max posting a 77 while Conor and Harvey managed a 75.
“The boys don’t play a lot of foursomes but we were still quite surprised to be level at the top going into the singles,” added Scott.
“There were a few doubles and one treble in there but their attitude saw them through. It was a great weekend for four really nice boys.”
Ayrshire were pushed all the way by the Lothians with Josh Beveridge (Bathgate) and Samuel and Cameron Mukherjee (Gullane) combining to propel their county into second.
However with Harvey finishing strongly – he birdied 14, 15 and 16 – to close with a level par 70 and Max carding a 71, the champions stayed well ahead. Their other counting score came from Jack (78).