Rennie to the fore as Lanarkshire end drought

Steven Rennie was the hero as Lanarkshire lifted the GolfKings Scottish Men’s Area Team Championship at Dalmahoy for the first time since 1998.

The Drumpellier man held his nerve in the final match on the final green as the six-man side defeated home outfit Lothians to secure just their third Area Team triumph, edging the final 5-4.

After losing the 2014 final to Renfrewshire, there was joy this time for Rennie, Craig Ross, Ed Wood, Dominic Dougan, Kenneth Gallacher and Gordon Yates at the Hotel & Country Club just outside Edinburgh.

Taking a 2-1 lead into lunch, Willie Sharpe’s Lanarkshire men went further clear with wins from Ross and Wood.

However, the Lothians, seeking their first title since 2007, hit back with victories from Scottish Boys champion Eric McIntosh, Broomieknowe’s Lee Morgan and Euan McIntosh, the new Scottish Golf Men’s Order of Merit winner, to level matters. That meant all eyes turned to Rennie’s clash with Jordyn Rhind, attached to Kingsfield. Rennie’s birdie from 15 feet at the 16th gave him a two-hole cushion, but his bogey at the 17th provided Rhind with hope. Rennie, however, stood firm to half the last and spark the celebrations.

Meanwhile, Dumfriesshire beat Aberdeenshire 5-4 at Aboyne to be crowned Scottish Women’s County champions for the first time since the South champions were admitted to the finals in the 1970s.

With the match finely poised at 3-3, with three matches still in the balance, Dumfriesshire took control when Jordana Graham beat Sammy Leslie by one hole. Seventeen-year-old Mirren Fraser sealed the win with a 4&2 victory over Carol Wilson.

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