The Rise and Rise of Ayrshire Sport

I may not have been born in Ayrshire but I have lived in this part of Scotland almost all of my life. And since a young age, sport has been one of my biggest passions.

This last year has seen an incredible rise for Ayrshire sports teams and individuals and their success deserves every bit of respect from the wider public. When people mention Ayrshire in relation to the world of sport, usually people think of golf and rightly so considering the world-class courses in the area including Open venues Royal Troon and Turnberry. And whilst Ayrshire are still producing talented golfers such as Jack McDonald and Michael Stewart, it is in other sports where Ayrshire has been even more successful in the last 12 months.

Rugby has always been played in the area to a very high standard and in recent years Ayr Rugby Club have taken that to a whole new level. After winning the Premier 1 Championship in 2008/2009 after 104 years of winning nothing, they have gone from strength to strength. This season they have captured the Premiership title again holding off a strong challenge from Gala by winning 16 out of 18 games in the league.

And on the 20th April, they became only the third Scottish side ever to do a league and cup double when they beat Melrose 28-25 in an unbelievable final at Murrayfield. They needed extra-time to secure the trophy and then some. They fell 25-23 behind in added time and time was actually up when the score remained that way. But they won with the final play of the game with replacement winger Cammy Taylor diving over in the corner. This summed up the incredible spirit that Kenny Murray has brought to the club and with three RBS Scottish Cup wins in the last five seasons, it is hard to argue against the fact that Ayr are one of the best club rugby sides in Scotland right now.

Another rugby club definitely on the up are that of my old school Marr College, in Troon. Whilst I never played rugby myself, I was always aware of the fantastic rugby programme the school had as well as the senior side who also play in the town. Two days ago the senior side completed a remarkable campaign by beating Helensburgh 24-22 to ensure a 100% winning record in RBS West Division One and to show their dominance, they finished the season with an incredible points difference of +687. A week earlier they had joined in celebrations with Ayr at Murrayfield when they won the RBS Shield in front of 1,000 of their loyal fans by beating Livingston 30-15. And if that wasn't enough, the schools side won the U18 plate final last Tuesday with a 21-13 victory over Galashiels. The future is all set to be wonderful for my old school.

But it isn't just with an oval shaped ball that Ayrshire is celebrating success in. The teams playing the round version have done very well this season too. Auchinleck Talbot have recently reached their third Scottish Junior Cup Final in succession and will be looking to atone for last season's defeat when they take on Linlithgow Rose on the 2nd June. They are also on the brink of winning the Super Premier League Division and haven't lost a game in the league yet.

Drop down a division and the Ayrshire sides are outdoing their Glasgow counterparts there also with Hurlford, Kilbirnie and Largs occupying the top three spaces in the First Division with the first two well set to be promoted to the top league in the next couple of weeks.

And my hometown Troon have also shared in this success by gaining promotion from the Ayrshire League with 51 points from 22 games, playing some nice football along the way and forging close links with local senior side Ayr United. The club are certainly not short of ambition and won't be ruling out another promotion next season. The senior sides in the area Ayr and Kilmarnock have struggled this season, but the juniors have promoted the area to a superb degree.

And in the so-called minor sports Ayrshire are excelling as well. The bowls scene in the area is continuing to flourish and Troon man Paul Foster is a stick-on to feature in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games after winning a pairs gold in the 2006 event. He is also the proud holder of four World Indoor Singles Championship. And he achieves all this whilst still running a taxi firm!

And what about North Ayrshireman Robert Thornton from Ardrossan who is fast becoming one of the best players in the world at darts. After winning the prestigious UK Open last year beating Phil 'The Power' Taylor in the final, he has really kicked his performances up a gear. With that win, he received an invite to the 2013 version of the 'Premier League' and with two weeks of regular fixtures left he has every chance of making finals night where the top four will battle for the trophy and prize money. If Thornton keeps this form up, he has to be considered a real contender for the World Championship later in the year.

Finally, not many of you will be aware I suspect of an American Football team being based in Troon, but not only is there a team, they are a very good one. Last season they gained promotion after winning nine out of ten games in the British American National Football League Division 1 North and they were extremely unlucky not to win the Brit Bowl at the end of the season. They got off to a poor start on Saturday when they lost their first game in the Premiership against the Birmingham Bulls, but I saw enough to fully believe that they will have no problems holding their own in the league.

So let's raise a glass to the teams and individuals doing Ayrshire proud right now and punching above their weight. Long may it continue.

Masters 2013 Preview: Five Golfers to Watch at Augusta

With the Masters now only one day away, excitement has reached fever pitch amongst golf fans around the world, as they eagerly await the first major of the season to tee-off.

For many people, the Masters each year represents the start of the golfing season, but already in 2013 we have seen Tiger Woods regain the number one spot by winning three tournaments in America, Rory McIlroy struggle for form with his new clubs and for us Scottish golf fans, a win for Martin Laird in Texas last week.

Having regained the number one spot, Woods is the clear favourite to win The Masters and if he does so he will be pulling on his fifth green jacket, which would move him one behind Jack Nicklaus's record of six wins at Augusta and only three behind Nicklaus'sall-time record of eighteen Major wins.

But what of the other contenders this week? Here I look at five other men who could have to make some room in their wardrobe for a new item come Sunday.

Rory McIlroy (12/1) The Northern Irishman has endured a difficult start to 2013, having lost his spot at the top of the World Rankings and he also struggled to adjust to his new Nike clubs. However, he bounced back last week with a second place finish at the Valero Texas Open and it looks to have been the perfect warm-up for him. 

Whilst memories of his meltdown on the course in 2011 as he led going onto the back nine in the final roundwill be fresh there is no doubting McIlroy has all the attributes to succeed at Augusta. He is a beautiful ball-striker and has a lovely touch around the greens. And it must not be forgotten that the previous two occasions he has won Majors, he has been soundly written off beforehand, then gone on to romp to victory. Keep that in mind.

Adam Scott (22/1)  Scott is someone who should have picked up a Major Championship long before now. He threw The Open championship away last year when it was in his grasp with four holes to play. Seven other top ten finishes in Major Championships shows that the Australian loves being at the front end as Majors draw to a close. 

So can he win the Green Jacket this year? He has finished in the top ten the last two years in The Masters, including tied 2nd in 2011 and is yet to miss a cut this season. He has improved his putting hugely, but due to his mental fragility, I would not go putting the mortgage on him.

Louis Oosthuizen (28/1) The South African was so unlucky to lose out last year at Augusta in the play-off to Bubba Watson and will be keen to go one better this time. The 2010 Open Champion must have thought he had one arm in the green jacket when Watson's drive found the rough in the play-off, but then the American played one of the greatest shots ever seen at Augusta. 

However, Oosthuizen will have put all that behind him now and with finding the fairways key at Augusta, Oosthuzien is well worth some of your money. Blessed with a great short game as well, don't be surprised if he adds his name to the South African winners in recent years.

Matt Kuchar (40/1) The American is my top tip this week to win the 2013 Masters and is priced remarkably high at the bookies. Until he bogeyed the 16th in the final round last year, he was right in contention before finishing a very respectable tied third. He has already tasted victory this season in the WGC Matchplay and confirmed to me there how fantastic his touch around the greens is. 

He also hasn't missed a cut this season and I have a real sense that it is Kuchar's time to win a Major having featured in the top ten of all four Majors over the last few years.

Nicolas Colsaerts (110/1) The Belgian is my real darkhorse this week as his odds would suggest. Colsaerts is playing in his first Masters tournament so it would be remarkable if he won on Sunday, considering only one debutant (Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979) has done so in 77 years. 

However, he is certainly worth a couple of quid of your hard-earned cash. He has spent time in the company of Jack Nicklaus going over how to play the perfect shots on each hole and his huge distance off the tee certainly gives him a chance. And don't go thinking Colsaerts can't handle the big occasion. He was one of Europe's key men in the incredible 2012 Ryder Cup victory and also won the Volvo Matchplay championship that year. Winning a Major is different than showing off blistering Matchplay form, but he could spring a surprise this week.

Whatever happens, it promises to be four days of thrilling golfing competition. Of the 93 players lined up, everyone will step onto the first tee tomorrow thinking they can win. Unfortunately, only one of them will require the services of a tailor come Sunday night.

*All odds supplied by William Hill at the time of writing.