Fife hopeful of ending 34-year wait for Scottish Area team title

His optimism is justified. On paper, the Fifers are heading for Ayrshire with arguably its strongest-ever side, the line-up containing no less than four of the players from Scotland's team for the Home Internationals in Wales last August. Joining Greg Paterson, James White, Brian Soutar and Peter Latimer are Scott Crichton and Scott Stewart-Cation, the former having just missed out on international recognition last year following a successful spell at college in America and the latter having a Scottish Order of Merit title, the South East Open, under his belt.

Already this year two members of the sextet have notched individual wins. Paterson produced a record-breaking performance to triumph at Craigmillar Park, where White finished second, while Soutar made home advantage count in the Scottish Champion of Champions at Leven.

"It is certainly the strongest team I can remember," added Scott. "Getting four players in the Home International team last year was a real occasion for us and hopefully we can follow on from that in the Area Team Championship."

According to Paterson, the Fifers have flourished due to the fact they have all exposed themselves to the stiffest competition available over the past few years. "I think there's always been a good depth of players but there's now a lot more of us playing in the 72-holers against guys who are in the Scottish elite squad as well as other top players," observed the St Andrews New man.

"With Brian winning the Champion of Champions and myself and James finishing first and second at Craigmillar Park, we've got off to a good start this season and it would certainly be great for ourselves and Fife golf, too, if we managed to become the first players to win the Scottish Area Team title. Unfortunately, this weekend's event isn't played on paper so we have to go out and make sure we finish in the top four in the stroke-play qualifying first and then try and take things from there."

North-East, who bridged an 18-year gap to lift the title in the Moneygate-sponsored event at Kinross 12 months ago, also have four internationalists in their line-up, with Jordan Findlay, David Law, Philip McLean and Kris Nicol being joined by Scott Larkin and Adam Dunton. Findlay, last year's Scottish Amateur runner-up, and Dunton replace Bryan Innes and Anthony Bews.

"It was great to be part of a winning North East team last year and with the nucleus of the side still the same along with Jordan and Adam, we'll have a great chance again," said Law. "We're a close-knit group of players with a good team spirit and looking forward to the event."

Renfrewshire, last year's beaten finalists, could go close again with Gordon Stevenson, who lost in a play-off for the Irish Open Stroke Play Championship last weekend, lining up in a side that has bags of experience in the likes of Ronnie Clark, Andrew Farmer and former Amateur champion Craig Watson.

Lothians, the 13-time winners but all under the old format, are spearheaded by Allyn Dick and Grant Forrest, while the Lanarkshire line-up includes Ross Kellett, Paul Shields and the evergreen Robert Jenkins. Hosts Ayrshire were dealt a blow with the late withdrawal of Scottish champion Michael Stewart due to his wrist injury but will still fancy their chances of repeating a 2008 win in the event.

The stroke-play qualifying, over two rounds, takes place today over Prestwick and Prestwick St Nicholas, with the leading four teams qualifying for the match-play stage tomorrow at Prestwick. Angus, Argyll & Bute, Borders, Clackmannan and South, incidentally, are the other Areas still to etch their name on the trophy.