Eight boys from the Stroke Play Championship qualified for the Match Play Championship and returned to Lockerbie Golf Club on Thursday 19 July.
In the First Round Mitchell Cowie (D&C) beat Glen Irvine (D&G) by 4 & 3 and in a very tight game Ciaran Howat (D&C) just triumphed over Callum McMillan by one hole. David Sharp (D&C) finally found his form and in another tight game, by virtue of five birdies and driving the green at the seventeenth, overcame Finlay Copland by 2 & 1. In the last game Taylor Kerr (Thornhill) was six under par when he beat Jamie Marchbank by 8 & 7.
In the first semi- final in the afternoon Mitchell Cowie was two up after six holes and four up after ten, against Ciaran Howat before ending the contest on the fourteenth green with a victory by 5 & 4. David Sharp continued his fine form of the morning in holding Taylor Kerr to two holes after six and two holes after fourteen before losing by 3 & 2.
The Final on Friday 20 July was a much anticipated contest between the Young Pretender, Taylor Kerr, and the holder of the last year’s Match Play title and this year’s Stroke Play event, Mitchell Cowie. The rains finally came and waterproofs and umbrella had to be enticed out of hibernation. Taylor took the ascendency over the opening holes and was two up after five, before Mitchell won three holes, six, seven and eight and reached the turn one up. Taylor birdied ten and Mitchell eleven. Mitchell then lost twelve, after a poor drive and Taylor’s birdie, and a further birdie at thirteen from Taylor gave him a one hole advantage. Mitchell fought hard over the last five holes but Taylor hung on grimly to secure a half in par at each hole and victory by one hole. They each had four birdies and Mitchell was round in a nominal 66 shots to Taylor’s 64 against the par of 67. A marvellous match from two very fine sportsmen on the top of their game which neither deserved to lose.
The photograph shows Taylor Kerr, the Junior Match Play Champion