Kennedy Salver

Ayrshire will host the Kennedy Salver this year at Ballochmyle Golf Club on Monday 16 June. The team representing Ayrshire is -

Charlotte Crawford (Turnberry)

Alyssa Gillies (Ballochmyle)

Sarah Melvin (Turnberry)

Orla Moran (Irvine)

Sandi Rogerson (Barassie)

Stefi Rogerson (Barassie)

Mya Wilson (Royal Troon)

This is the junior equivalent of the senior jamboree, the girls will face teams from D&A, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. First tee off 0915 and afternoon play will start at 1330. All spectators and supporters are very welcome

Good luck girls!

Inter County Matches

A successful jamboree at Milngavie this year, despite some very heavy rain on Monday which was a real test for the players.

On day one Ayrshire faced the hosts D&A and had an excellent win of 5 points to 4. Tuesday was a tough day facing the reigning champions Lanarkshire who have a very strong team that includes the current West of Scotland champion, Scottish Women's amateur champion and a former professional! Ayrshire girls were 2-1 down after the morning foursomes and the afternoon singles went the way of Lanarkshire with overall result being 6.5 to 2.5

With Renfrewshire also having one win and one loss over the first 2 days it meant a battle for second place on Wednesday. Ayrshire were again 2-1 down after the morning foursomes and Renfrewshire came out very strongly in the afternoon singles and the match went their way with a final score of 7-2

There were a lot of close matches that just didn't seem to go our way this year but the team showed their fighting spirit and there were plenty of smiles and laughter along the way regardless of their match scores.

In the other match Lanarkshire completed a clean sweep by beating D&A 8-1 to win the event and will represent the West at the Scottish finals in Alyth on August 29, 30 and 31

This year saw the debuts in the Senior team for 2 of our up and coming young players. Orla Moran (Irvine) and Hannah Ounap (Loudoun) Orla has been a familiar face at our Junior coaching over a number of years and has become an excellent golfer winning the Irvine Golf Club ladies championship last year and was a semi finalist at our own Championship. Hannah is new to the county having played in a lot of European events over the years which usually clashed with our Jamboree! She recently reached the semi final of the Scottish Ladies amateur at Western Gailes. Hannah played all 6 matches this week with 5 excellent wins. Hopefully both of these girls will feature in our team for many years to come.

The Captain would like to thank all the caddies who volunteered to support the team, their time and commitment meant a lot to the players. Thanks also to the Captain and committee of Dunbartonshire and Argyll County for all their hard work into planning a successful jamboree. Also a special mention to the greenkeepers at Milngavie for getting the course playable after the torrential rain on day one. Finally a thanks to the catering staff for keeping everyone fed and watered this week.  

Back row L to R - Pauline Patrick (Irvine), Jenny Linklater (Largs), Orla Moran (Irvine), Roz Purdom (St Nicholas), Audrey Thompson (Loudoun), Sarah Ramsay (West Kilbride), Hannah Ounap (Loudoun)

Front left - Joanne Sharp (Lenzie) and right Sara Bottomley (Captain)

Next year Lanarkshire will host the Inter County Matches on June 15, 16 and 17 at Lanark Golf Club

Scottish Women's Amateur Championship

Having finished runner up in the 2024 event, Freya Russell (Royal Troon) was looking to go one step further at Western Gailes this year.

She got off to a great start with 2 rounds under par in the 36 hole stroke play qualifying on Friday, finishing top qualifier on 3 under par.

Two comfortable wins in Saturdays match play saw her book a place in the semi final where she would play another Ayrshire youngster, Hannah Ounap (Loudoun) 

This was a close battle with Hannah being in front for most of the round. Freya was 2 down with 3 holes to play and won the last 3 holes to take her spot in the final for the second year running.

 Also through to the final was another "west" girl, Susan Woodhouse from East Kilbride. 

Susan also had a close match on her way to the final winning on the 19th hole in her semi final against Jasmine Mackintosh. She came into the week showing some great form having had a good finish at the recent Helen Holm and in the West of Scotland Championship. The final certainly lived up to expectations!

Susan took an early lead of 2 holes but Freya fought back before Susan then restored her 2 hole lead after an impressive sand save for par at the short 15th. 

It looked like Freya was going to repeat her great finish in the semi finals when she won both 16 and 17 but a fantastic birdie by Susan at the 18th sealed the win for the Lanarkshire player.

Hard lines Freya but a great championship. Good luck from all at ALCGA for the British at Nairn next month.

Foursomes

Another glorious sunny day for our second meeting of the season,this time at Ballochmyle Golf Course for our Annual Foursomes Competition.104 Ladies’ played to compete for a place at Strathaven Golf Course in June and Barberton Golf Course in September.

The qualifiers available to go through to play at Strathaven for the West Inter County Foursomes Final on Monday 23^rd June are;

Scratch-Liz Wilson (The Ladies Golf Club Troon) & Linda McDonald(Kilmarnock Barassie)

Katherine Eland & Frances Glidden (The Ladies Golf Club Troon)

Handicap-Janet Harkness & Elspeth Howie (Skelmorlie)

Sara-Ann Bottomley (The Ladies Golf Club Troon) & Sandra Johnson (Kilbirnie)

Ann Cumming & Kim Murdoch ( Prestwick St.Nicholas)

Margaret Dalziel & Mhairi Macnamee (Loudoun Gowf Club)

The qualifiers available to go through to play for The Commonwealth Spoons on Monday 1^st September are:

Gillian Pollock & Alyson Hutton (Skelmorlie)

Janet Harkness & Elspeth Howie (Skelmorlie)

Sara-Ann Bottomley & Sandra Johnson

Ann Cumming & Kim Murdoch

Margaret Dalziel & Mhairi Macnamee

Magic 2’s were won by Alison Jarvie and Ann Young,well done ladies’ Those greens were NOT easy!

Ballochmyle kindly donated a 4BALL for our Captain’s Charity,Ayrshire Sportsibilty.

Thank you to everyone who once again generously made a donation,£170 was raised.The winner was Sylvia Muir,numbers 936-940,thanks to Ben behind the bar who drew the winning ticket!

West of Scotland Championship

The West of Scotland Championship took place at Cathcart Castle golf club on Sunday 18 May.

It was a beautiful day, 32 ladies played in the competition with 5 entries from Ayrshire - Sarah Ramsay (West Kilbride), Colette Maule (West Kilbride), Kate Currie (St Cuthbert), Angela Hughes (Irvine) and Moira Barnett (Troon Ladies)

Eva O'Connor (Bothwell Castle) won the event with an impressive scratch score of 73 beating Susan McGrenaghan (Hayston) on the better inward half. Third scratch went to Rachael Neil (Blairgowrie) and 4th Susan Woodhouse (East Kilbride) meaning a clean sweep of the scratch prizes for Lanarkshire county who also won the team event.

Eva

Susan

Rachael

The Handicap prize was won by Sandra McGuire (Williamwood) with a nett 69

Thanks to Cathcart Castle for giving us courtesy of the course for the event and Renfrewshire Ladies for all the organising. Pictured is Liz Stewart, Renfrewshire Captain, who presented the prizes.

Audrey Thompson wins first ALCGA Championship

It was a tense, close final this afternoon at Dundonald links between top qualifier Jenny Linklater (Largs) and Audrey Thompson (Loudoun)

Both girls had been unsuccessful in the final before but one of them was going to take that final step to become champion.

Jenny got off to a good start and was 2 up by the time they reached the turn. She remained one up after 12 but then Audrey squared the match at 14. Audrey then went one up after 15 but was brought back to all square after 16. Jenny managed to win 17 and would only need a half to win but Audrey had one shot less to reach the green and her putt fell to take the match into extra holes.

The 19th and 20th were both halved before Audrey managed to win at the 21st hole.

A great match, congratulations to both players and to Audrey for winning her first ALCGA championship title.

Finalists Decided

Experience was the key in this mornings semi finals with Jenny Linklater (Largs) and Audrey Thompson (Loudoun) winning though to this years final - between them they have appeared in 5 previous finals.

Both players are long standing county members who have supported the ladies team for a long number of years. It should be a great final and will, without question, produce a worthy winner.

Good luck to both. Tee off is 1400, spectators welcome