TROON club Kilmarnock (Barassie) are the 2017 Ayrshire Junior Golf League champions.

They edged out Ballochmyle in a closely contested final at Troon Darley earlier this month.

Robbie Muir and Ewan Milligan got the Kilmarnock (Barassie) team off to a good start, winning the leading two ties to put the team 2-0 ahead, and with Ben Watson winning his tie comfortably, the Barassie side looked well on the way to a comfortable title win with a 3 - 0 lead overall.

The Ballochmyle team fought back though, Robbie Graham and Jack Allan putting two points on the board and bringing the match score back to 3 - 2 for Barassie with one tie remaining on the course.

With the last tie on the course between Craig Erenz and Cameron Orr going to the last, the previous results already ensured that Kilmarnock (Barassie) would take the title on the countback, even if the final tie was lost, but to the credit of Cameron Orr he battled on for a one hole win to ensure that the match score would finish in a 3-3 draw, even though the title was lost on the countback to the Troon club.

Match details (Kilmarnock Barassie names first):

Robbie Muir beat Christopher Hunter by 2 holes; Ewan Milligan beat Lewis MacMillan by 3&1; Ross McDonald lost Jack Allan by 2&1; Ben Watson beat Jamie Montgomery by 7&6; Fraser Wallace lost Robbie Graham by 5&4; Craig Erentz lost Cameron Orr by 1 hole.

Final Score: Kilmarnock Barassie 3 Ballochmyle 3

(Barassie won on count back).

Meanwhile the Ayrshire A team got off to a winning start in the defence of their West Of Scotland Inter County League title when they beat Stirlingshire 5-3 at Prestwick St Cuthbert.

The match was close throughout and the result was in doubt until the final tie on the course reached the final hole.

In what is thought to be a first in recent memory in the West Leagues, Stirlingshire fielded a father and son in their eight man team, the elder Richard Johnston from Glenbervie, being joined by his son, also Richard, in the senior side for the first time.

The younger Johnston contributed one of the first two points for Stirlingshire with a 2 &1 victory over Jack Broun adding to the first point posted for the visitors by mark Hislop who defeated Tommy McInally.

With Craig Hamilton one behind with two to play in the lead tie, the early signs were not good for the Ayrshire team, but Hamilton won the 17th to square it and followed up by hitting two great shots to within a few feed at the last which eventually prompted his opponent to concede a winning eagle three to Hamilton.

Greg Telfer lost the final hole to be pegged back for a half match but Jim Johnston, one behind with three to play, pulled his tie back to earn another vital half point for Ayrshire.

In the two anchor ties, host club members Craig Telfer and Stuart Robin secured comfortable wins in their respective ties to give Ayrshire four points overall and ensure at least a half match, with one tie remaining on the course.

In the final tie on the course, Scotland internationalist Euan Walker, back in the county side after a four year absence due to his university studies in the USA, was all square with two to play against David Oates. With Walker having bunkered his tee shot at the 17th, and Oates on the green, albeit some distance from the hole, the tie looked to be turning in the favour of the visitors. But Walker showed some great character by almost holing his bunker shot, which prompted a conceded par three and his effort proved all the more important when his opponent three-putted the hole to give Walker a one hole lead and effectively ensure a match win for Ayrshire.

At the final hole, walker played safely and was ultimately conceded a winning birdie four which gave him a two hole win and Ayrshire victory by 5- 3 overall

Match details (Ayrshire names first): Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle) beat Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) by 1 hole; Tommy McInally (Loudoun) lost to Mark Hyslop (Glenbervie) by 4&3; Jack Broun (Ayr Belleisle) lost to Richard Johnston Jr. (Glenbervie) by 2&1; Greg Telfer (Prestwick St Cuthbert) halved with Tam Beattie (Grangemouth)

Jim Johnston (Ayr Belleisle) halved with Lindsay Blair (Grangemouth); Euan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie) beat David Oates (Stirling) by 2 holes; Craig Telfer (Prestwick St Cuthbert) beat Richard Johnston Snr (Glenbervie) by 6&4; Stuart Robin (Prestwick St Cuthbert) beat Stuart irving (Falkirk) by 5&3

Final Score: Ayrshire 5 Stirlingshire 3

IN the corresponding youths match, Ayrshire were away to Stirlingshire at Callander and lost out by 6 - 2 to their hosts.

At the turn the Ayrshire looked to be in a good position to get an away win in the match but the loss of holes in a number of ties late in the round by Ayrshire turned the match in favour of the hosts from Stirlingshire.

Match details (Ayrshire names first): Shaun Hedger (West Kilbride) beat Greg Nicol (Bonnybridge) by 3&1

Sandy Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie) lost to Peter Maxwell (Glenbervie) by 2&1; Greg Vernon (Kilmarnock Barassie) lost to Greg McLellan (Stirling) by 2&1; Andrew Gordon (Ayr Belleisle) lost to Stuart Myurray (Falkirk) by 2 holes; Murray McCrone (Troon Welbeck) lost to Thomas Craig (Falkirk) by 3&2; Aiden Long (Ayr Belleisle) lost to James Yarnell (Glenbervie) by 2&1; Callum Irving (Ayr Belleisle) lost to Stewart McLellan (Stirling) by 5&3; Daryl Lynch (Ayr Belleisle) beat Dariusz Kunecki (Stirling) by 1 hole

Final score: Stirlingshire Youths 6 Ayrshire Youths 2

Thanks to www.ayrshiregolf.blogspot.co.uk for these details.