A GOLFER from Ardrossan has emerged victorious from an elite field in the 2022 Ayrshire Matchplay Championship.

Shaun Hedger, who is a member of West Kilbride Golf Club, had lost his previous final appearance in the competition having reached this stage in 2018.

Though this was not the case this year, as he walked away from Ayr Belleisle Golf Club with the trophy in his hands on May 5.

He defeated Royal Troon’s Blair Morton in the showpiece match, with the pair needing extra holes to separate them.

Shaun’s victory means that West Kilbride golfers now hold the title of both the male and female champion golfers in Ayrshire, following Sarah Ramsay’s victory in the female edition of the same competition last month.

The former St Matthew’s pupil started the match on fire, going three up with only seven holes played.

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Though Morton found his form in the following four holes, making birdie on three of these to draw level. He took the lead for the first time on the twelfth, after Shaun was made to pay for an errant tee shot.

The Ardrossan man would square the match again on 14 after his opponent failed to match his par score.

Shaun would pull ahead again on 16 but a birdie a hole later from his opponent meant they went down the last all square.

Nerves kicked in on the last with both closing with bogeys to ensure extra holes were needed.

At the second of these extra holes, it was Shaun who found an extra gear, with a birdie four enough to secure the match win and along with it, the title.