Lothians Golf Association

   

Tournament entry forms now with club secretaries and on website. Next deadline is Monday 21st May 2012 for the Lothians Boys Championship in June.

17/05/2012

Lothians Boys Championship

Entry Closing Date - 21st May 2012

This is just a short note to remind everyone that the closing date for the Boys Championship is this Monday, 21st May. At the moment entry numbers are down quite a bit on recent years. With a maximum handicap limit of 18 there are plenty who could take part and it is hoped that more will enter over the next few days. It has recently been decided by the SGU that the qualifying stages will be a qualifying event for the SGU Boys Order of Merit which should be an added incentive this year. Entry forms have been sent to your clubs but can also be found on the Competitions section of this website.

Allan Shaw

16/05/2012

Drake is new Lothians champion



Pumpherston's Paul Drake with the Evening News Trophy after his win at Dalmahoy

PUMPHERSTON'S Paul Drake is the new Lothians champion after beating Craig Deerness from Harburn in an all-West Lothian final at Marriott Dalmahoy.
Drake recovered from two down with four to play to secure the title at the 19th in a match that was delayed due to bad weather last week.
Drake is the first Pumpherston player to claim the crown since Phil Smith won at Mortonhall in 1984.
It was also a case of third-time lucky for the new champion after he had lost twice in the final of the Lothians Champion of Champions in recent years.
Both players were a credit to their respective clubs, as were their fellow members who turned up to provide the biggest crowd to watch a Lothians final in many a year.

Final

Paul Drake (Pumpherston) bt Craig Deerness (Harburn) at 19th
Martin Dempster

16/05/2012

Lothians draw with Fife

LOTHIANS completed their warm up for this weekend's Scottish Area Team Championship with a 4-4 draw with Fife at a windy St Andrews.
The match over the Kittocks Course at Fairmont St Andrews saw both teams include four players from their teams for the event in Perthshire.
In a singles-only affair, Silverknowes star Graham Robertson lost four holes in a row from the 11th to go down 5 and 4 to Aberdour ace Scott Crichton.
Zander Culverwell matched Scott Cation-Stewart in a close contest but a ball out of bounds at the 17th put the former Lothians champion one down and a half in 4s at the last was enough to secure a victory for the Fifer.
The final two matches were lost at the 16th and, with four matches completed, Fife led 4-0.
However Lothians won them all - Ross Noon and Stephen Simants gaining one-hole victories and Gary Corrigan winning 2 and 1.
In the last match to completed, Steven Armstrong won the 17th to go one ahead then holed a ten-foot putt on the last for his 4 to secure the draw.

Match details (Fife names first)
   
Scott Crichton bt Graham Robertson 5 and 4
Scott Cation-Stewart bt Zander Culverwell one hole
Colin Martin lost to Ross Noon one hole
Gary Sharp lost to Stephen Simants one hole
Barry Hynd lost to Steven Armstrong one hole
Kevin Blyth lost to Gary Corrigan    2 and 1
Alex Moir bt Tam Caldwell 3 and 2
Ally Hain bt Keith Reilly 3 and 2
       

Martin Dempster

12/05/2012

Drake versus Deerness in final

THE final of the weather-hit Lothians Championship will be an all-West Lothian affair between Pumpherston's Paul Drake and Craig Deerness of Harburn.
Drake, a former Lothians Order of Merit winner, beat Ratho Park's Neil Sneddon 4 and 2 in his semi-final while Deerness recorded a 3 and 2 win over Colin Swanston, the 1999 champion from Uphall.
Earlier, Drake ended Keith Nicholson's bid for a fifth title after beating the Haddington player at the 20th in a fantastic match.
The final will be played on Wednesday starting at 5pm.

Results

Quarter-finals

Paul Drake (Pumpherston) bt Keith Nicholson (Haddington) at 20th
Neil Sneddon (Ratho Park) bt Chris Wood (North Berwick) at 19th
Craig Deerness (Harburn) bt Michael Bacigalupo (Longniddry) 3 a
nd 2
Colin Swanston (Uphall) bt Sean Walter (West Linton) 6 and 5

Semi-finals

Drake bt Sneddon 4 and 2
Deerness bt Swanston 3 and 2

Martin Dempster

09/05/2012

Swanston pips Noon in ding-dong battle




The East Course at Marriott Dalmahoy is the venue for the Lothians Championship


UPHALL'S Colin Swanston took a step closer to bridging a 13-year gap by winning a battle royal with Ross Noon in the second round of the Lothians Championship at Marriott Dalmahoy.
Swanston, who won the title at Monktonhall in 1999, was three up at the turn but then found himself one down with three to play.
However, he won the 16th and 17th, both with pars, before closing the match out with a textbook birdie-4 at the last.
Other winners included four-time champion Keith Nicholson (Haddington) and Pumpherston's Paul Drake, a former Lothians Order of Merit winner.
The match between Musselburgh's Benn McLeod and Sean Walter of West Linton will resume at 4.15pm on Thursday after it was halted due to darkness after 19 holes.

Second-round results

K Nicholson (Haddington) bt E Shannly (Linlithgow) 6 and 5
P Drake (Pumpherston) bt S Armstrong (Turnhouse) at 19th
N Sneddon (Ratho Park) bt S Simants (Dunbar) 5 and 4
C Wood (North Berwick) bt A Macphail (Ratho Park) 5 and 4
C Deerness (Harburn) bt G Robertson (Silverknowes) 2 and 1
M Bacigalupo (Longniddry) bt G Thomson (Glen) 3 and 2
S Walter (West Linton) all square with B McLeod (Musselburgh) after 19 holes
C Swanston (Uphall) bt R Noon (Craigielaw) one hole
 


Martin Dempster

09/05/2012 LOTHIANS CHAMPIONSHIP - LIVE UPDATES

For live reports from the course for the latter stages of the Lothians Championship 

Click Here


Or


follow the following path on the lothians website -

Competitions tab at top of page (green),

then grey Mens tab on left,

then Amateur Championship on drop down list,

then Results tab,

then Click here for matchplay results

 

There will, as usual, also be daily reports on all the action in the Edinburgh Evening News.

 

 

Allan Shaw

08/05/2012

Dick loses in first round




The East Course at Marriott Dalmahoy is the venue for the Lothians Championship


ALLYN DICK, the leading qualifier and winner two years ago, lost at the 20th to West Linton's Sean Walter as the first round of the Lothians Championship was concluded at Dalmahoy.
One down with one to play, 18-year-old Walter got up and down from a greenside bunker to win the 18th with a birdie then rolled in a ten-footer for match-winning birdie at the second extra hole.
Uphall's Colin Swanston, the winner in 1999, recorded the night's biggest win as he beat clubmate Sandy Calder 7 and 6.

Results

G Robertson (Silverknowes) bt S Imrie (Ratho Park) two holes
C Deerness (Harburn) bt M Naysmith (Dalmahoy) 3 and 2
G Thomson (Glen) bt J Gallacher (Pumpherston) 2 and 1
M Bacigalupo (Longniddry) bt L McCathie (Turnhouse) 6 and 5
S Walter (West Linton) bt A Dick (Kingsknowe) at 20th
B McLeod (Musselburgh) bt S McGarvey (West Linton) one hole
R Noon (Craigielaw) bt J McManus (Uphall) 3 and 2
C Swanston (Uphall) bt S Calder (Uphall) 7 and 6
Martin Dempster

08/05/2012

Winning starts for Armstrong and Nicholson

FORMER champions Steven Armstrong (Turnhouse) and Keith Nicholson (Haddington) were among the winners on the opening night of the Lothians Championship at Marriott Dalmahoy.
In cold and wet conditions, Armstrong, the winner in 2004 and runner-up four years later, overcame a knee injury to record the night's biggest win - 6 and 5 against Bathgate's Simon Lockhart.
Nicholson, the four-time champion, was four up with four to play against Greenburn's Gary Corrigan before eventually winning 2 and 1 to book his last-16 spot.
Other winners included Paul Drake, a former Lothians Order of Merit champion from Pumpherston, and Ratho Park pair Alastair Macphail and Neil Sneddon.

Results

K Nicholson (Haddington) bt G Corrigan (Greenburn) 2 and 1
E Shannly (Linlithgow) bt D Waugh (Baberton) at 19th
S Armstrong (Turnhouse) bt S Lockhart (Bathgate) 6 and 5
P Drake (Pumpherston) bt D Miller (Duddingston) 3 and 1
N Sneddon (Ratho Park) bt S Blair (Royal Musselburgh) 3 and 2
S Simants (Dunbar) bt S Murray (Harburn) 3 and 2
A Macphail (Ratho Park) bt A Loch (Pumpherston) at 19th
C Wood (North Berwick) bt R Carson (Dalmahoy) one hole

FOR A FULL REPORT EITHER BUY THE EVENING NEWS OR GO TO SCOTSMAN.COM
Martin Dempster

05/05/2012

Dick claims Stuart Cup by eight shots

KINGSKNOWE'S Allyn Dick finished eight shots clear of the field as he lifted the Stuart Cup as leading qualifier for the Lothians Championship.
The 2010 champion followed a morning 68 at Pumpherston with an afternoon 63 at Harburn to finish well clear of the pack.
Musselburgh's Benn McLeod and Greenburn's Gary Corrigan, both on 139, were his nearest challengers.

All players on 148 and better qualified for the matchplay phase at Dalmahoy and the CSS was 72 (+3) at Pumpherston and 71 (+1) at Harburn.

Qualifiers




A DICK Kingsknowe
68 63 131
B McLEOD Musselburgh
67 72 139
G J CORRIGAN Greenburn
70 69 139
* J RHIND Uphall
76 64 140
G A ROBERTSON  Silverknowes
70 71 141
J GALLAGHER Pumpherston
71 70 141
D MILLER Duddingston
71 70 141
S W WALTER West Linton
71 72 143
K A NICHOLSON Haddington
76 67 143
P DRAKE Pumpherston
76 67 143
G THOMSON Glen
70 74 144
Andrew LOCH Pumpherston
71 73 144
M BACIGALUPO Longniddry
72 72 144
L McCATHIE Turnhouse 
73 71 144
S ARMSTRONG  Turnhouse 
77 67 144
D WAUGH Baberton
70 75 145
S McGARVEY Glencorse
71 74 145
A MACPHAIL Ratho Park
71 74 145
S LOCKHART Bathgate
72 73 145
E SHANNLY Linlithgow
76 69 145
R M NOON Craigielaw
69 77 146
* C JOHNSTONE Royal Musselburgh
72 75 147
S B BLAIR Royal Musselburgh
74 73 147
S CALDER Uphall
74 73 147
C WOOD North Berwick
74 73 147
N SNEDDON Ratho Park
75 72 147
J McMANUS Uphall
76 71 147
C W DEERNESS Harburn
79 68 147
R J CARSON Marriott Dalmahoy
73 75 148
S IMRIE Ratho Park
74 74 148
M NAYSMITH Marriott Dalmahoy
74 74 148
S J SIMANTS Dunbar
75 73 148
S MURRAY Harburn
76 72 148
C SWANSTON Uphall
77 71 148






* not abailable for match-play

Non Qualifiers





J WHITELAW West Linton
72 77 149
J YUILLE Royal Burgess
72 77 149
C D DAVIDSON Craigielaw
72 77 149
D WILLIAMS  Duddingston
73 76 149
H FRASER Niddry Castle
73 76 149
M CHAMBERS Carrick Knowe
74 75 149
M WILSON West Lothian
76 73 149
K MACKENZIE Bruntsfield Links
76 73 149
A J HOGG Dundas Parks
77 72 149
G T E THOMSON Duddingston
78 71 149
I WILSON Marriott Dalmahoy
78 71 149
L MORGAN Swanston New
78 71 149
F JOHNSTON Longniddry
79 70 149
C CURRAN Harburn
79 70 149
D EARDLEY Liberton
73 77 150
B ERSKINE Merchants
75 75 150
G W FRASER Kingsknowe
76 74 150
M R FOLEY  Kingsknowe
77 73 150
N HENDERSON Harburn
77 73 150
A J CRAWFORD Deer Park
71 80 151
A CURRAN Harburn
75 76 151
M A STEIN Craigielaw 
75 76 151
M BURNETT Harburn
76 75 151
A ANDERSON Bruntsfield Links
76 75 151
F JERVIS Newbattle
77 74 151
K REILLY  Silverknowes
77 74 151
S CUNNINGHAM Musselburgh
78 73 151
M SIMANTS Dunbar 
75 77 152
S McMEHEN Linlithgow
76 76 152
A YOUNG Turnhouse
77 75 152
G DAVIDSON Winterfield
78 74 152
G PAUL Harburn
80 72 152
R MILLAR Whitekirk
74 79 153
W T KERR Craigielaw
78 75 153
R K FERGUS Swanston New
80 73 153
A STEVENSON Uphall
72 82 154
J CLEGHORN Pumpherston
76 78 154
M OWENSON Longniddry
77 77 154
D THOMSON Glencorse
77 77 154
L BAIN Musselburgh
78 76 154
I R MELVILLE Glencorse
78 76 154
D W H HUNTER Marriott Dalmahoy
75 80 155
C BURGESS Musselburgh
77 78 155
S FERGUS Swanston New
77 78 155
R CRAIG Merchants
79 76 155
J RENWICK Uphall
79 76 155
 S SCOTT Baberton
79 76 155
G STEVENSON Uphall
80 75 155
N AIKEN   Longniddry
80 75 155
Adam LOCH Pumpherston
74 82 156
G YORKSTON Carrickvale
76 80 156
S MORRISON Braids United
78 78 156
D KERR Liberton
80 76 156
D GILMORE Duddingston
76 81 157
M KIRK Harburn
78 79 157
L BAIN Turnhouse
79 78 157
C LOW Tantallon
83 74 157
J RENNIE Greenburn
76 82 158
D J MARTIN Longniddry
77 81 158
B THOMSON Deer Park
83 75 158
G MILLER Bathgate
85 73 158
J GARDNER Uphall
79 80 159
R GILL Craigmillar Park
84 75 159
N FREE Musselburgh Old
83 77 160
M BODDIE Dunbar
78 83 161
E SMITH Torphin
79 82 161
G McCANN Haddington
81 80 161
R BOYLE Bathgate
79 83 162
D SMITH Baberton
83 79 162
D YORKSTON Carrickvale
82 81 163
E DONALDSON Craigielaw
87 76 163
A FERGUSSON Longniddry
80 84 164
R RONALD Pumpherston
81 84 165
P HEGGIE  Silverknowes 
82 84 166
R BRYDON Bruntsfield Links
78 NR NR
R EWAN West Lothian
81 NR NR
C PATTISON Longniddry
NR NR NR
C SYMINGTON Kingsknowe
NR NR NR
S J HERMISTON Carrickvale
NR 80 NR
D W WARNER  Haddington
NR NR NR
S CHERRY Niddry Castle
NR 79 NR
C RADCLIFFE Royal Musselburgh
NR 77 NR
R MOFFAT Dundas Parks
NR 78 NR
S R McBRIDE Uphall
NR 75 NR
T LAIRD Pumpherston
NR 79 NR
C BOURHILL Kilspindie
NR 81 NR
J S GILMOUR Harburn
79 WD WD
S CROOKSTON Bathgate
80 WD WD

LOTHIANS CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 DRAW FOR MATCH PLAY

MONDAY 7th MAY


Match

Time

Player

 

Player

1

4.45pm

G Corrigan (Greenburn)

v

K A Nicholson (Haddington)

 

 

 

 

 

2

4.52pm

E Shannly (Linlithgow)

v

D Waugh (Baberton)

 

 

 

 

 

3

5.00pm

S Lockhart (Bathgate)

v

S Armstrong (Turnhouse)

 

 

 

 

 

4

5.07pm

D Miller (Duddingston)

v

P Drake (Pumpherston)

 

 

 

 

 

5

5.15pm

S B Blair (Royal Musselburgh)

v

N Sneddon (Ratho Park)

 

 

 

 

 

6

5.22pm

S J Simants (Dunbar)

v

S Murray (Harburn)

 

 

 

 

 

7

5.30pm

Andrew Loch (Pumpherston)

v

A Macphail (Ratho Park)

 

 

 

 

 

8

5.37pm

R Carson (Dalmahoy)

v

C Wood (North Berwick)

 

 

 

 

 

 

TUESDAY 8th MAY

 

Match

Time

Player

 

Player

1

4.45pm

S Imrie (Ratho Park)

v

G Robertson (Silverknowes)

 

 

 

 

 

2

4.52pm

C Deerness (Harburn)

v

M Naysmith

(Dalmahoy)

 

 

 

 

 

3

5.00pm

J Gallagher (Pumpherston)

v

G Thomson

(Glen)

 

 

 

 

 

4

5.07pm

L McCathie (Turnhouse)

v

M Bacigalupo (Longniddry)

 

 

 

 

 

5

5.15pm

S Walter (West Linton)

v

A Dick

(Kingsknowe)

 

 

 

 

 

6

5.22pm

S McGarvey (Glencorse)

v

B McLeod

(Musselburgh)

 

 

 

 

 

7

5.30pm

R Noon (Craigielaw)

v

J McManus

(Uphall)

 

 

 

 

 

8

5.37pm

S Calder (Uphall)

v

C Swanston

(Uphall)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martin Dempster

03/05/2012

Lothians do the double



Lothians president Denys Flaherty, far right, celebrates
the win in Northumberland with Keith Reilly and his team

LOTHIANS completed a unique double in their annual friendly with Northumberland thanks to a strong singles showing at City of Newcastle.
The visitors won 9.5-8.5 to record successive away victories in the fixture for the first time and also make amends for a comprehensive defeat at Newbattle 12 months ago.
Due to concerns about the weather for later in the day, it was agreed the match would start with 12 singles.
That proved a good decision for Lothians as they emerged from the morning session with a 7.5-4.5 lead.
Allyn Dick set the tone by winning the top match, while further points were then delivered by Graham Robertson, Stephen Simants, Sean McGarvey, Keith Nicholson, Gary Corrigan and and Steven Armstrong.
Stephen Simants also gained what transpired to be an important half point after winning the 18th in his match.
In the foursomes, Graham Robertson and Stephen Simants recorded a convincing victory in match two.
But, after McGarvey and young Anthony Blaney lost the 18th to down by one hole, the overall score was tied at 8.5-8.5.
In the final match, Steven Armstrong holed a five-footer to win the 16th and go two up in the company of team captain Keith Reilly.
And a solid par at the next was enough to give Lothians a narrow but nonetheless sweet victory.

MATCH DETAILS

Foursomes
M Webb and J Hermeston bt A Dick and R Noon 4 and 3
L Fairbairn and D Smith lost to G Robertson and S Simants 6 and 5
M Coup  and S Heads bt A Blaney and S McGarvey one hole
S Twynholm and A Dixon bt K Nicholson and S Neilson 2 and 1
A Minnikin and J Storey bt M Timmins and G Corrigan 6 and 4
R Hayhoe and P Sym lost to K Reilly and S Armstrong  2 and 1

Singles
Webb lost to Dick 5 and 4
Hermeston lost to Robertson 2 and 1
Smith bt Noon one hole
Fairbairn lost to Simants 2 and 1
Twynholm bt Blaney 3 and 2
Coup lost to McGarvey 5 and 4
Heads lost to Nicholson one hole
Minnikin halved with Neilson
Dixon bt Timmins 3 and 1
Storey lost to Corrigan 3 and 2
Sym lost to Armstrong 6 and 5
Hayhoe bt Reilly 3 and 1

Martin Dempster

30/04/2012

Draw for Lothians qualifying

Quailifying for this year's Lothians Championship takes place at Pumpherston and Harburn on Saturday, May 5. The draw is as follows:

Ist round over Pumpherston

7.15 & 12.30 S SIMANTS Dunbar F JERVIS Newbattle P HEGGIE Silverknowes
7.25 & 12.40 K NICHOLSON Haddington M WILSON West Lothian  K REILLY Silverknowes
7.35 & 12.50 D SMITH Baberton G STEVENSON Uphall B THOMSON Deer Park
7.45 & 13.00 K MACKENZIE Bruntsfield Links D WAUGH Baberton A STEVENSON Uphall
7.55 & 13.10 G THOMSON Glen S CROOKSTON Bathgate J GILMOUR Harburn
8.05 & 13.20 S MURRAY Harburn G McCANN Haddington C PATTISON Longniddry
8.15 & 13.30 D KERR Liberton D YORKSTON Carrickvale C SYMINGTON Kingsknowe
8.25 & 13.40 G YORKSTON Carrickvale S IMRIE Ratho Park D GILMORE Duddingston
8.35 & 13.50 J RHIND Uphall G THOMSON Duddingston G FRASER Kingsknowe
8.45 & 14.00 M OWENSON Longniddry S HERMISTON Carrickvale D THOMSON Glencorse
8.55 & 14.10 S McGARVEY Glencorse P DRAKE Pumpherston D HUNTER Dalmahoy
9.10 & 14.25 J GALLAGHER Pumpherston R CRAIG Merchants M BURNETT Harburn
9.20 & 14.35 S BLAIR Royal Musselburgh J CLEGHORN Pumpherston A CURRAN Harburn
9.30 & 14.45 A DICK Kingsknowe S NEILSON Dunbar G ROBERTSON Silverknowes
9.40 & 14.55 M KIRK Harburn A YOUNG Turnhouse S CALDER Uphall
9.50 & 15.05 C BURGESS Musselburgh F JOHNSTON Longniddry R BRYDON Bruntsfield Links
10.00 & 15.15 L BAIN Musselburgh R EWEN West Lothian J RENWICK Uphall
10.10 & 15.25 I WILSON Dalmahoy R BOYLE Bathgate E SHANNLY Linlithgow
10.20 & 15.35 S CUNNINGHAM Musselburgh G MILLER Bathgate W KERR Craigielaw
10.30 & 15.45 G RONALD Pumpherston B ERSKINE Merchants M CAMPBELL Swanston

Ist round over Harburn

7.15 & 12.30 A ANDERSON Bruntsfield Links D MARTIN Longniddry J GARDNER Uphall
7.25 & 12.40 C WOOD North Berwick C SWANSTON Uphall D MILLER Duddingston
7.35 & 12.50 ANDREW LOCH Pumpherston A MACPHAIL Ratho Park D WARNER Haddington
7.45 & 13.00 M NAYSMITH Dalmahoy ADAM LOCH Pumpherston S FERGUS Swanston
7.55 & 13.10 S CHERRY Niddry Castle R FERGUS Swanston S MORRISON Braids United
8.05 & 13.20 C JOHNSTONE Royal Musselburgh S ARMSTRONG Turnhouse R NOON Craigielaw
8.15 & 13.30 R CARSON Dalmahoy C RATCLIFFE Royal Musselburgh A CRAWFORD Deer Park
8.25 & 13.40 N AIKEN Longniddry E DONALDSON Craigielaw N SNEDDON Ratho Park
8.35 & 13.50 D WILLIAMS Duddingston M FOLEY Kingsknowe R MOFFAT Dundas Parks
8.45 & 14.00 H FRASER Niddry Castle R MILLAR Whitekirk D CAMERON Edinburgh Western
8.55 & 14.10 G CORRIGAN Greenburn B McLEOD Musselburgh M TIMMINS Pumpherston
9.10 & 14.25 R GILL Craigmillar Park J WHITELAW West Linton M STEIN Craigielaw
9.20 & 14.35 G DAVIDSON Winterfield J YUILLE Royal Burgess CHRIS LOW Tantallon
9.30 & 14.45 M BACIGALUPO Longniddry L MORGAN Swanston L BAIN Turnhouse
9.40 & 14.55 A HOGG Dundas Parks G MILLAR Swanston J McMANUS Uphall
9.50 & 15.05 L McCATHIE Turnhouse S LOCKHART Bathgate C DEERNESS Harburn
10.00 & 15.15 S McBRIDE Uphall A FERGUSSON Longniddry N HENDERSON Harburn
10.10 & 15.25 I MELVILLE Glencorse N FREE Musselburgh Old S McMEHEN Linlithgow
10.20 & 15.35 M BODDIE Dunbar D EARDLEY Liberton S WALTER West Linton
10.30 & 15.45 T LAIRD Pumpherston C BOURHILL Kilspindie M CHAMBERS Carrick Knowe
10.40 & 15.55 J RENNIE Greenburn C DAVIDSON Craigielaw S SCOTT Baberton

Martin Dempster

18/04/2012

Lothians suffer Duns defeat

AFTER a thumping win over Stirlingshire a fortnight earlier, Lothians were brought back to earth with a bump as they crashed 7-3 to Borders in a friendly at Duns.
Only Anthony Blaney and Keith Reilly could muster wins for the visitors, who, in fairness, were a tad understrength due to players competing in the Craigmillar Park Open.
Blaney bounced back from the disappointment of suffering a third-round defeat in the Scottish Boys to beat Derek Gillie 3 and 2.
The victory was all the more impressive given that the Liberton youngster had suffered a bout of travel sickness on the journey to the Berwickshire course.
Reilly held on from four up after 12 to record a narrow win over Alan Ballantyne in the anchor match.
Watched by a large audience, Reilly shanked his short approach at the last but then put the next one dead to secure his point.
Keith Nicholson and Calum Hill both chipped in with half points, the former birdieing the 16th to get his match back to all square.
Alan Anderson, last year's Lothians champion, crashed 5 and 4 to Bryan Graham in the top match but refused to use the fact he only returned from a holiday in Goa at the end of last week as an excuse.
Instead, he was generous in his praise of his opponent's game.
In a rare off day, Mark Timmins also succumbed as he struggled throughout to contain a hook, the end coming when he lost a ball at the 16th.

Match details
(Borders names first)
B Graham bt A Anderson 5 and 4
A Chalmers halved with K Nicholson
P Johnston bt M Timmins 3 and 2
S Fairburn bt L Morgan 3 and 1
D Gillie lost to A Blaney 3 and 2
C Riddle halved with C Hill
W Ford bt P Heggie one hole
M Ford bt L Bain 2 and 1
G Renwick bt M Campbell 4 and 3
A Ballantyne lost to K Reilly one hole

 

Martin Dempster

11/04/2012

Kingsfield stages first Gallacher event

The Stephen Gallacher Foundation swung into action when Kingsfield Golf Centre on the outskirts of Linlithgow staged a successful first event.
The European Tour player was on the first tee to set a total of 39 youngsters on their way in the flag event, after which they all received a lesson from either Jane Connachan or David Burns.
Stephen's son Jack completed nine holes in 33 shots while all the leading prize-winners reached the 8th hole with their 36th and final shot.
"The enthusiasm shown by everyone, both kids and adults, was tremendous," said Foundation manager Scott Knowles.
"We also have beginners receiving group lessons before they played, the youngest being five."

The full prize winners were:

Under 10 Girls

1 Morgan Graham (Falkirk)
2 Katie Liddle (Larbert)
3 Niamh O'Reilly (Bathgate)

Under 10 Boys

1 Eduard Tor (Edinburgh)
2 Callum Thom (Bathgate)
3 Ewan Burns (Bathgate)

Under 12 Girls

1 Lisa MacPherson (East Calder)
2 Kirsten Wyles (Linlithgow)
3 Rebecca Calthorpe (Grangemouth)

Under 12 Boys

1 Jack Gallacher (Bathgate)
2 Matthew Morrison (Kingsknowe)
3 Rory Pompelli (Falkirk)

The next event is on Sunday, April 15 from 1pm-4pm entry fee 3. Entry forms can be obtained from Swanston Golf Club or by e-mail to scott@sgfoundation.co.uk or phone 07786540614. Players can turn up on the day.

Martin Dempster

05/04/2012

Lothians double in Scottish Junior Awards

                                         
 

                                         

Laura Rushby, clubgolf regional manager, is flanked by Jim Cowper (Dundas Parks) and Iain Holt (Turnhouse) after picking up their awards at the Scottish Golf Dinner

Iain Holt, stalwart volunteer coach at Turnhouse Golf Club, and nearby Dundas Parks Golf Club, made the RBS Junior Club and Volunteer Awards hosted by the Crowne Plaza Hotel a Lothians whitewash.

Holt, the clubs ClubGolf Coordinator is one of Scotlands longest serving volunteer coaches and well-deserved winner of the RBS Volunteer Award, with the runner up slots going to Iain Ross (Inverness GC, Highland) and Sandra Ross (Rosehearty GC, Aberdeenshire).

It was Holt who, in 2005, encouraged Turnhouse to become the first Edinburgh club to offer ClubGolf coaching. 
Under his leadership, and ten hours plus a week commitment year round, the clubs programme has flourished with 72 children attending six coaching sessions a week.
Such a large programme is only possible through the 16 strong coach-base which Holt has recruited and retained, many from the start, along with his own enthusiasm and commitment, in excess of 10 hours a week.

Known in the East of Scotland as Mr ClubGolf, Holts influence has spread far beyond the club boundaries.  He has encouraged all the local primary schools to offer golf and helped motivate other clubs to offer ClubGolf.  A member of the ClubGolf's task force since the start, he is a regular supporter of ClubGolf by coaching at major events across Scotland.
I'm absolutely delighted to win this award which is a wee thank you for the efforts that I've put in, all done voluntarily but thoroughly enjoyed, said Holt, before explaining his motivation for coaching and outlining his teams plans to develop the programme further.
I enjoy seeing the kids coming into the game and enjoy seeing them improve.  I just simply enjoy coaching, it's as simple as that and I'll keep going as long as I can.
At Turnhouse weve got a good initial programme, a good introduction to the game and we want to get even more kids coming through into the playing stages within the club.  The 500 awarded tonight will certainly be put to good use for the juniors.
If Holt is one of the longest serving supporters of ClubGolf, then Dundas Parks is one of its newest.  Yet the West Lothians club, which started its junior programme in 2010, has showed what can be achieved in a short space of time with the right people and a great plan.  

From having less than 50 juniors, no girl members and dwindling funds, it has made a remarkable turnaround.  Today it boasts six qualified volunteer coaches, is working hard in local primary and secondary schools, and has 30 children on its Stage 1 and 2 ClubGolf programmes, many of whom have become club members.
As a direct result of its ClubGolf coaching the clubs junior team came third in the Linlithgowshire league, its highest ever finish.  And one of its juniors has been accepted onto Lothian's coaching programme.
Energy and innovation are key to the clubs rapid and sustainable growth.  It has integrated fully with the community, holding open days and festivals for over 300 children.  To keep its juniors engaged and progressing it sets aside practice areas and holes exclusively for coaching and regular competitions.
To ensure youngsters can continue golf year round, it has introducing winter coaching for Stage 2 and 3 juniors at the Heriot Watt University Indoor Golfing Facility.  Plans are afoot to start developing practice facilities.

To be shortlisted for this award was brilliant but to actually win it is the icing on the cake for a small club like us this is absolutely fantastic, said the clubs ClubGolf Coordinator, Jim Cowper who collected the  1,000 prize.
It's a massive accolade for Dundas Parks and I think all the people at the club will be very proud of what the members have achieved.
We want to keep going and reach the next step, part of which is to arrange a ClubGolf event at the club.  We have never had a junior open at the club before and we are hoping to do that in July.

We are very fortunate to have the 1000 which we will use in a number of different ways; to help us put in extra practice facilities and also use for professional tuition.

Martin Dempster

03/04/2012 3 Way Boys Match cancelled because of adverse weather conditions

The first 3 way boys match between Borders, Lothians & Stirlingshire, due to be played at The Glen, North Berwick today, had to be cancelled because of adverse weather conditions. This was a great disappointment given that a week ago we were experiencing the hotest March day since records began!  A trophy instigated by Stirlingshire President, Ian Howarth, will therefore have to go unclaimed until such time as the match is re-arranged or, more likely, is competed for during the Easter holidays in 2013.

The Lothians team selected was

Under 16                                                    Under 14

Gary Brownlee (Tantallon)                             Cameron Blair (Musselburgh)

Aaron McManus (Tantallon)                           Nick Thomson (The Glen)

Murray Naysmith (Dalmahoy)

Calum Wilson (Kilspindie)

 

Allan Shaw

01/04/2012

On-form Lothians crush Stirlingshire

LOTHIANS followed their warm-up win over Kingsknowe by crushing Stirlingshire in an annual friendly, played this year at Haddington.
The 9-1 triumph for the home side proved ample revenge for a narrow defeat in last year's tussle at Glenbervie. 
It also saw Lohians become the first holders of the George Crichton Trophy, which was first presented by a former chairman of the Scottish Industrial Sports Association for one of its golf events.
However, with the demise of that organisation a few years ago, the Trustees were delighted that a new use could be found for it.
Kingsknowe's Allyn Dick set the tone for one of Lothians' biggest-ever wins, sharing the first 13 holes in his match with Graeme Robertson, last year's South East Open winner, before going on to record a 2 and 1 triumph.
The second game beween Danny Kay and Ryan Campbell was also all square after 13, but a chip in birdie at the short 14th gave Campbell the advantage and two holes later the game was over.
Comfortable victories for Graham Robertson and Ross Noon in the third and fourth games added to the impression  that this Lothians team is pehaps rather stronger than in recent years - both being ahead most of the way and running out victors by 3 and 2.
Local man and past team captain Keith Nicholson found himself two down after three against ex-Lothians junior Tam Beattie, who started wth three 3's.
Nicholson squared the match at the sixth and birdies at the seventh, 11th and 14th contributed to a 4 and 3 victory.
Former pro  Steven Armstrong gained the greatest margin of victory, the Turnhouse man winning 6 and 5 against Mark Hislop.
 Immediate past captain Mark Timmins also gained success, proving yet again that there is life in the 'old man' still.
"All in all a very good result for the new captain Keith Reilly, who was quick to point out to everyone around that he retained his 100 per cent winning record," said Lothians selector Tom Gowan.

Lothians 9, Stirlingshire 1
A Dick bt G Robertson 2 and 1
D Kay lost to R Campbell 3 and 2
G Robertson bt T Morrison 3 and 2
R Noon bt M Cox 3 and 2
K Nicholson bt T Beattie 4 and 3
S Armstrong bt M Hislop 6 and 5
S McGarvey bt L Blair 2 and 1
S Simants bt C Mundie 3 and 2
M Timmins bt D Fish 4 and 3
G Corrigan bt H Neilson 3 and 2
Martin Dempster

27/03/2012

Lothians win at Kingsknowe

LOTHIANS made a winning start to the season, beating Kingsknowe 6.5-3.5 in a friendly against the Capital club.
The hosts started strongly, with club champion Steve McCulloch beating Danny Kay on the last green in the top match and Allyn Dick then coming out on top against Stephen Simants.
Ross Noon, last year's LGA Order of Merit winner, put Lothians' first point on the board as he beat Scottish captain Scott Knowles.
And the tide was beginning to turn when David Miller gained a fortuitous victory over Mike Foley, the Duddingston man putting it down to his "scrambling ability" after being outplayed from tee to green.
Other Lothians wins came from Sean McGarvey, Stephen Neilson and Gary Corrigan while Stuart Smith secured one of three halves by virtue of skulling his second at the last to finish a foot from the hole.
"All in all, some keenly-contested matches which sets us up for the first Area match of season this weekend against Stirlingshire at Haddington," said selector Tom Gowan.

Kingsknowe 3.5, Lothians 6.5
S McCulloch bt D Kay one hole
A Dick bt S Simants 2 and 1
S Knowles lost to R Noon 4 and 3
M Foley lost to D Miller one hole
J White lost to S McGarvey one hole
G Muir lost to S Neilson 4 and 3
G Malone halved with S Smith
G Fraser halved with D Muir
D Munro halved with M Campbell
M Cairnie lost to G Corrigan one hole

Martin Dempster

09/03/2012

Gallacher launches Foundation in Lothians


Stephen Gallacher was joined by Linlithgow Primary School pupils, including son Jack, for the launch of The Stephen Gallacher Foundation at Kingsfield Golf Centre

LOTHIANS star Stephen Gallacher has officially announced the launch of The Stephen Gallacher Foundation.
Following in the spike marks of compatriot and former Open champion Paul Lawrie, whose Foundation has blossomed in the Aberdeen area since his establishment in 2001, Gallacher is keen to help more children enjoy and progress in the game.
The Linlithgow-based player, born and bred in nearby Bathgate, has spent two years planning the Foundation, aiming to give children of all ages, backgrounds and ability the opportunity to pick up a golf club for the first time through to helping them achieve all they can in the sport.
Coupled with this is a determination to help develop life skills along the way by learning the disciplines, control and honesty required, and promoting a healthy lifestyle whilst still enjoying the game.
Initially in the Lothians and Borders regions, with a view to rolling out to more of Central Scotland in the future, Gallacher's Foundation will have Under-10, Under-12, Under-15 and Under-18 categories where everyone will be assessed along the way to ensure they are competing and taking part in line with their ability and potential.
The Under-10s and Under-12s will play predominantly in Flag Days, in partnership with ClubGolf, the national junior golf programme. The Under-15s and Under-18s will play in Stroke Play.
Open to both boys and girls, a structured calendar of events is taking shape ahead of a Finals day, known as the Race to Dunbar, taking place at Dunbar Golf Club on Sunday 30 September 2012.
Launching the Foundation at the excellent Kingsfield Golf Centre facility on the outskirts of Linlithgow, Gallacher, 37, said: The mission of the Foundation is to get as many young people playing golf as possible.
It would be great to see someone who started out, or developed their golf with the Foundation winning on Tour, or ultimately, winning a Major championship. That would be the icing on the cake. The most important thing, though, is for kids from all backgrounds to have the chance to at least try the sport. Hopefully they will go on to fall in love with Golf and enjoy it as much as I have been able to.
I have spoken to Paul Lawrie frequently over the last two years and taken a lot of advice on board given the success of the work he does in the north east. His help in getting things started in the correct manner has been invaluable and Id like to thank him.
Gallacher, the 2004 Dunhill Links champion who is the nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard, insists he has no intention of winding down his own career as he seeks to make the Foundation a success.
Gallacher, who enjoyed a stellar amateur career including victory in the Scottish Amateur in 1992, said: This is the next chapter for me. Im playing well and I think the next five years can be the best for me. If Im playing well, it will give kudos to the Foundation.
I know ClubGolf have done a great job and were looking forward to working with them. We ultimately want more kids to join clubs to become adult members. You have to start at ground level.
We are a non-profit organisation and all monies raised will be redistributed back into the clubs.
Gallacher has appointed Lothians legend Scott Knowles, a long-time friend, as the Foundations manager.
Paying tribute to the already impressive list of companies, private individuals and entities that have lent their support, Gallacher said: Im delighted to already have the support and financial assistance of many corporate and private individuals as well as the support and endorsement of The European Tour, R&A and The Scottish Golf Union.
I will be getting personally involved as much as my tournament schedule allows and plan to attend as many of the days that the calendar of events offers as well as a number of fundraising and golf days we have planned.
First Minister Alex Salmond has also offered his support and added: I am delighted to support any initiative that encourages the next generation of golfers in Scotland and I therefore applaud Stephen Gallacher and the establishment of The Stephen Gallacher Foundation.
Foundations such as this, and the Paul Lawrie Foundation in the north east of Scotland, are a welcome addition to Scottish Golf.
They will sit alongside the efforts of the Scottish Government's ClubGolf programme, giving our youngsters the opportunity to learn and enjoy playing the great game of golf."

For more information on The Stephen Gallacher Foundation, check out www.sgfoundation.co.uk

Martin Dempster

09/03/2012

Longniddry lift EL Winter League title



Members of the Longniddry team that lifted the EL Winter League title this season

LONGNIDDRY lifted the East Lothian Winter League title for the first time in more than 25 years to give skipper Chris Wood the perfect send-off.
"To win the league in my fourth and final year as captain makes me very happy," said Wood, who recently decided to leave the new champions after joining North Berwick earlier this year.
"Having led Longniddry to promotion, and subsequently challenging for the league title for two years, it's great to finish the job at the third attempt."
The leaders knew a 4-1 defeat was the minimum requirement heading into their final game but, like true champions, they sealed the deal in style with a win at over third-placed Musselburgh.
It involved Wood exercising more of the same careful strategy that has allowed his team to prevail in the closest of matches throughout the season.
The late withdrawal of Myles Cunningham forced changes to the planned top pairing, so the skipper moved Marc Owenson and Fraser Johnstone up the order to No 2.
The youngsters proved they were up to the task, covering a stretch of holes from the turn in four under en route to securing the vital point and the league title for their team.
Michael Bacigalupo and Graeme Clarke clocked up their fourth win from four starts together, while Niall Glen, this time paired with Nick Aitken, registered his ninth win of the season, a tally unmatched by any other player in the top flight.
Just as impressive has been Royal Musselburgh's record in the Second Division - and it had to be as they were pushed all the way in the title race by North Berwick.
John Hall's side beat Dunbar to finish with a 100 per cent record from nine games and they'll be hoping to add the icing to the cake against Gullane in Sunday's Cup Final at Longniddry.

Final tables

First Division

P W D L F A Pt

Longniddry 10 8 0 2 33 17 16
Tantallon 10 7 0 3 28 21 14
Musselburgh 10 5 1 4 26 23 11
Gullane 10 5 0 5 24 25 10
Haddington 10 3 2 5 21 28 8
Glen 10 0 1 9 16 34 1

Second Division

P W D L F A Pt

Royal Musselburgh 9 9 0 0 36 8 18
North Berwick 9 8 0 1 36 9 16
Dunbar 9 5 1 3 27 17 11
Craigielaw 9 5 0 4 26 18 10
Musselburgh Old 9 5 0 4 20 24 10
Kilspindie 9 4 0 5 20 24 8
Gifford 9 3 1 5 21 23 7
Castle Park 9 3 0 6 15 30 6
Whitekirk 9 2 0 7 14 30 4
Thorntree 9 0 0 9 6 38 0

Martin Dempster

24/02/2012

Second-round start for Nicholson

FOUR-TIME winner Keith Nicholson will not launch his latest bid to win the Lothians Champion of Champions until the second round.
Among 44 players spared first-round ties, he'll have home advantage in an all-East Lothian clash against Dunbar title holder Graeme Reid.
Winterfield's Graham Davidson, the 2008 winner, will also enter the fray in the second round, where he faces a tough away match against Dalmahoy's Dougie Hunter, though he is flying the flag for Scottish Universities in this event.
Other eye-catching ties in the draw include Lothians captain Mark Timmins (Pumpherston) taking on Harburn's Jim Gimour in an all-West Lothian clash and Brian Tait, the 2010 champion who is back representing R.I.C.S. again, facing Third's Chris Brown.
Look out for reports during the season and also keep up-to-date with the full results on the competition section.

FULL DRAW

FIRST ROUND

David Graham Lochend V Gary Donaldson Hailes
James Whitelaw West Linton V Colin Dick Murrayfield
Ewan Smith Torphin Hill V Darryl Souness Amisfield Park
Kenneth Smith Broomieknowe V Darren Fee Thorntree
Russell Gibson Gogarburn V David Miller Temple
John Liddel George Heriots FP V Colin Whoriskey Musselburgh Old
Grant Pollock Stewarts & Melville FP V Graham Bell Bathgate
Sandy Gray Royal Burgess V Gordon Duff Register House
Stuart Morrison Braids United V John Adamson Mount Vernon
Mike Brown Edinburgh City Chambers V Pat Flynn Greenburn
John Ralston Edinburgh Western & Portobello V Alex McKenzie Bruntsfield Allied
Blair Shearer Gifford    V David Mason West Lothian
Steve McCulloch Kingsknowe V Richard Craig Watsonian
Ian Dickson Caermount V Stewart Menzies Gullane
Gavin McKinnon Edinburgh & Leith Licensed Grocers V Bob Williamson Buckstone G C
Hugh Fraser Niddry Castle V Jordyn Rhind Uphall
Ian Gordon Port Seton V Gerry Boobis Ravelston
George Thomson Glen V Simon Hermiston Carrickvale
Brian Tait R.I.C.S. V Chris Brown Third
Robert Binnie Lochcraig V Graeme Stevenson Bank of Scotland

SECOND ROUND

Douglas Hunter Scottish Universities V Graham Davidson Winterfield
David Rennie Binivell V Iain Neilson Liberton
Keith Nicholson Haddington V Graeme Reid Dunbar
Michael Gray North Berwick V Tom Paterson Kingston
Bob Humble Kilspindie V David Gilroy Corstorphine 8.30
Ian Randall Cramond V John McNee Linlithgow
Arran McHardy Prestonfield V David Marshall Scarifiers
Alex Robertson Craigmillar Park V Myles Clapperton Musselburgh
Andrew Brooks Kings Acre V Fraser Skene Tantallon
Gerry Campbell Dundas Parks V Mark Riddell Baberton
Kevin Girdler Longniddry V Mike Robson Harrison
Ally Macphail Ratho Park V Gary Thomson Duddingston
Ross Munro Whitekirk V Oliver McCrone. B.B.T.
Derek Wilkinson Carrick Knowe V Alastair Shanks Glencorse
Daniel Beatson Castle Park V John Hunter Newbattle
Donald Anderson Edinburgh Thistle V Colin Cuthbert Luffness New
Tony Mundh Melville V Alan Anderson Bruntsfield Links
Mark Timmins Pumpherston V Jim Gilmour Harburn
Fraser Clark M.C.B.A. V Marc Simants Dunbar Castle
Graham Nisbet Lothianburn V Robert Carson Dalmahoy
Michael Wilson Royal Bank V Craig Johnstone Royal Musselburgh & Prestongrange
David Nicolson Standard Life V Innes Christie Observers
 
2012 LOTHIANS HANDICAP MATCHPLAY DRAW

FIRST ROUND

Clarke Robertson Hailes V Dougie Muir Winterfield
Donald Macsween Gifford V Douglas Wilkinson Prestonfield
Peter Fortune R.I.C.S. V Tony Mundh Melville
Andrew Blain Murrayfield V Jamie McIntyre Carrickvale
John Russell Royal Musselburgh V Mike McCann Liberton
Graham Drummond Edinburgh City Chambers V Craig Tweedie B.B.T.
Charlie Love Kingston V James Edgar Glen
James Young Carrick Knowe V Angus Roxburgh Turnhouse
Barrie Sawers Binivell V John Anderson Corstorphine 8.30
Kenneth Roy Lothianburn V Ashrif Mohammed Kings Acre
Gordon Young Mortonhall V Kevin Morgan Pumpherston
Derek Smiles Kingsknowe V James Ferguson Broomieknowe
George Henry Mount Vernon V Paul Hubbard Third
James Greenan Temple V Bruce Seaton Tantallon
William Brodie Luffness New V Ian Leslie Niddry Castle
Dave Fenwick Lochcraig V Derek Hand Register House
Colin Johnston Port Seton V Colin Penman Ethicon
Ricky Moffat Newbattle V David Thom Castle Park

SECOND ROUND

Alex Ramage Edinburg Drapers V James Crispin Stewarts & Melville FP
Brian Wishart Buckstone G S V Chris Houston Lochend
Gary Walker Edinburgh Thistle V Adam Wilson Silverknowes
Derek McLean Bathgate V Gregor Mizen Duddingston
Alastair Davie Thorntree V Cristophe Paus Torphin Hill
David Mackie Edinburgh & Leith Licensed Grocers V Michael Owen Craigmillar Park
William Johnston Prestongrange V Martin Hunter Buckstone G C
Jim Hunter Baberton V Tam Bourhill Braids United
Geoff Harris Merchants V Ross McLean Gogarburn
Graham Sneddon Harburn V Paul Marshall Musselburgh Old
David Baillie Scarifiers V Davy Munro Cramond
Grant Sneddon Linlithgow V Paul McFarlane Observers
Daniel Anderton West Lothian V Michael Miller Watsonian
John Gladwin North Berwick V Arthur Campbell Caermount
Roy Marsland Ravelston V Gavin Rudd Longniddry
Alan Black Harrison V Roger Eggins Dunbar Castle
Andrew Allan Dunbar V Russell Fortune Amisfield Park
Paul Valente Rhodes V Stuart Arnot Kilspindie
John Richardson George Heriots FP V David Gray Craigielaw
Bill Wilson Deer Park V Alastair Lawson Dundas Parks
Graeme Baillie Bruntsfield Allied V Mark Lawrie Haddington
Ian Calder Travel Twenty V Craig Brown Ratho Park
Gary Reilly Portobello V Gordon Turner West Linton
    

Martin Dempster

17/01/2012

West pipped for Winter League title

WEST didn't get the "miracle" they needed as Fife won the Fife & Lothians Golf Associations Winter League for the first time in a decade.
They made home advantage count to beat East 6.5-3.5 in the final match of the campaign at The Dukes and topped the table ahead of West.
Fife had slipped up against the same opponents at Winterfield before Christmas and East headed to the outskirts of St Andrews with strong-looking line-up.
Unfortunately for both teams, a severe frost meant that 18 temporary greens were in operation and all of these had enlarged cups.
"It was a disappointing scenario for such an important game but it was the same for all the players," noted East team manager Tom Gowan.
East got off to a good start as Dunbar's Danny Kay held James White, last season's Scottish Order of Merit, in the top match and then Ross Noon claimed the scalp of Scotland cap Brian Soutar.
But Marc Simants and Calum Burgess were the only other winners for the visitors on a day when Fife wrapped up the title in style.
Victors for them included Aberdour's Scott Crichton, who recovered from being one down at the turn to beat Stephen Simants 3 and 1.
"With five wins out of six starts, Fife are deserved winners of this season's Fife & Lothians Winter League," added a gracious Gowan.
 
Match details

Fife 6.5, East 3.5:
J White halved with D Kay; B Soutar lost to R Noon 2 and 1; G Sharp bt Z Culverwell 5 and 3; S Crichton bt S Simants 3 and 1; A Hain lost to M Simants 2 and 1; J Jamieson bt S Cunningham 4 and 2; R Walsh bt R Millar 6 and 5; G Forrester lost to C Burgess one hole; K Blyth bt D Warner 4 and 3; S Stewart-Cation bt B McLeod 6 and 4.

Final table

P    W    D    L    F    A    Pts

Fife     6    5        0        1        35.5        24.5      10
West        6        4        0        2        35.5        24.5        8
East        6        2        1         3        28        32       5
Mid        6          0        1        5        21        39        1

Martin Dempster

14/01/2012

West need a 'miracle'

WEST team manager Jimmy Lamond reckons his side need a "miracle" to be crowned as champions tomorrow (January 15).
The Fife & Lothians Golf Associations Winter League concludes with Fife hosting East in a re-arranged match at The Dukes on the outskirts of St Andrews.
East came out on top when the same two sides clashed at Winterfield just before Christmas, keeping West's lingering title hopes alive in the process.
Their race is run and now they need Fife to slip up for a second time to East to keep the title on the south side of the Forth.
"We need another miracle," admitted Lamond. "We need Fife to get beat - any other result and they'll be champions.
"It's really been out of our hands since we should have taken a point off Fife at the start of the season."
Unsurprisingly, Fife team manager Bill Dickson is rolling out some of his big guns for the decisive encounter.
James White, last year's Scottish Order of Merit winner, spearheads the home side, which also includes Scotland squad members Brian Soutar and Scott Crichton.
"I have called on as strong a team as possible to try and secure the title," said Dickson.
"After such a good 2011 for Fife golf, it would be a good way to start 2012 by winning the League as it has been a while since we did that.
"We will give it our best shot but it won't be easy as East are a strong side and have some very good players."
Lamond noted: "I reckoned that Fife would be sending out their strongest team.
"But hopefully the fact the match is being played at The Dukes will act as a bit of a spur for the East boys."
Danny Kay, the beaten finalist in last year's Scottish Amateur Championship, is making his first appearance of the campaign for Tom Gowan's team.
Battle Trophy holder Zander Culverwell is also in the visiting line-up, as is Ross Noon, the 2011 Lothians Order of Merit winner.
"It is an unusual position to be in - knowing that we can't win the title but can play a part in its destiny," said Gowan.
"Fife are going into the match as slight favourites but this is ss strong a team as we fielded all season.
"We are going there aiming to show we are a strong team and, hopefully, we can record a fourth win of the campaign."

Teams

Fife:
James White, Brian Soutar, Gary Sharp, Scott Critchon, Scott Stewart-Cation, Kev Blyth, Ally Hain, Ryan Walsh, Josh Jamieson, Greg Forrester.
East: Danny Kay, Zander Culverwell, Ross Noon, Stephen Simants, David Warner, Benn McLeod, Marc Simants, Scott Cunningham, Calum Burgess, Ross Millar.
Martin Dempster

14/01/2012

Wins for Carrickvale and Silverknowes

CARRICKVALE and Silverknowes are still locked together in the Edinburgh Municipal Clubs Winter League after coming out of cold storage to win their first matches of 2012.
Both victories came on the road, with Carrickvale returning to the scene of their historic Dispatch Trophy treble to beat Braids United and Silverknowes seeing off a stuffy Portobello side.
According to team manager George Alexander, Carrickvale had a "very tight game" up at the Braids and he felt his side were a touch fortunate to emerge with a 2.5-1.5 success.
Silverknowes won 3.5-0.5 but that was also alot tighter than the scores suggests on a Portobello course described by the visiting Keith Reilly as being in "great condition".
The latest results mean that Carrickvale and Silverknowes are both sitting on the six-point mark after three games.
And the banter between the two sides had already started ahead of a forthcoming top-of-the-table clash.
"We are ready - bring it on," said Silverknowes star Tam Caldwell.
Carrickvale's David Ewen replied: "I can't remember the last time they beat us at Silverknowes. Granted they cuffed us at The Braids but we were a star player down."
In the other group, Lochend made the most of home advantage to open their acccount with a 2.5-1.5 win over Edinburgh Western.
But Harrison are still in pole position in that section after winning their opening two games.

Group A

Lochend 2.5, Edinburgh Western 1.5:
Neil Donaldson and Stuart Turner halved with Danny Cameron and Brian Reid; Duncan Ireland and Johen Sward lost to Sandy McFeat and Gerry Curran 3 and 2; David Graham and Alan Thomson bt George Wood and Jim Robertson one hole; Robert Binnie and Paul Young bt Matt Davidson and Rankin Taylor 5 and 4.

Group B

Portobello 0.5, Silverknowes 3.5:
Alec Gosman Jnr and John Martin lost to Graham Robertson and Kevin Reilly 3 and 2; James Heatlie and Kenny Craigie halved with Tom Caldwell and Stevie Garicoh; Asan Khan and Craig Brown lost to Paul Heggie and Ian Lamb 4 and 3; Scott Forrest and Harry Moriarty lost to Keith Reilly & John Macrae won 3 and 2.
Braids Utd 1.5, Carrickvale 2.5: Sandy Miles and Martin Rutherford lost to Richie Tait and Darren Coyle 2 and 1; Stuart Morrison and Paul Gillem halved with Allyn Dick and Paul Cunningham; Michael Ahern and Glenn Marsters lost Craig Elliot and Dave Ewen 4 and 3; Alan McIntosh and Wayne McDonald halved with Gary Yorkston and Simon Hermiston.

Martin Dempster

13/01/2012

Longniddry step up title bid

LONGNIDDRY stepped up their bid for a first title triumph in 27 years after beating defending champions Glen away as the East Lothian Winter League resumed following the Festive break.
The 4-1 win moved the visitors level on points with Tantallon, who lost at home to a Gullane side that is still in the title hunt as well with a game in hand.
But Keith Cunningham's Longniddry side are in pole position due to a better 'goal' difference and they'll also be encouraged by having home advantage for two of their three remaining matches.
For the Glen, this latest defeat all but confirms a return to the Second Division, with a draw between Haddington and Musselburgh doing little to shed any light on which of them will also be facing relegation at the end of the season.
Shot of the day - perhaps the season - came in the Second Division as Gifford's Stuart Meikle holed his 5-iron for an ace at the fifth hole.  
That helped him and partner David Shearer secure a one-hole win, but it wasnt enough to prevent his team losing out narrowly to Kilspindie.
North Berwick are up to second spot after a whitewash at Castle Park, setting up a crunch clash with Dunbar in their next match in the battle to join Royal Musselburgh in earning promotion.

Division 1

Glen 1 Longniddry 4:
George Thomson and Graeme McCann lost to Niall Glen and Myles Cunningham 5 and 3; Jim Jack and Gary Reid lost to Graham Clarke and Michael Bacigalupo 5 and 4; Colin Pattison and Russell Taylor lost to Chris Wood and Nick Aiken 2 and 1; Chris Timms and Barry Ford lost to Luke Fisher and Fraser Johnstone 3 and 2; Innes Christie and Euan Bowden beat David Porteous and Don McKinnon 6 and 5. Juniors: Fraser Christie and Fraser Edgar halved with Chris Algeo and Daniel Algeo.
Tantallon 1 Gullane 3: Stuart O'Connell and Simon Holt lost to Stuart Roberts and Scott Walker 4 and 3; Calum Hill and Chris Low lost to Fraser Syme and Murray Saunders two holes; Stuart Wimberley and Andrew Doig lost to Alan Smith and Duncan Low 2 and 1; Eddie Danks and Roddy Stevenson halved with Robert Jack and Mike Corrie; Fraser Symon and Shaun Gordon beat Lawrie Main and Colin Sinclair 2 and 1.
Haddington 2 Musselburgh 2: Keith Nicholson and Mark White lost to Myles Clapperton and Cameron Marr 2 and 1; George Blair and David Warner halved with Kenny Wright and Brian Henderson; Law Hardie and Glenn Anderson lost to Benn McLeod and Scott Cunningham 6 and 5; Neil Bain and Andrew Doctor beat Andrew Millar and Craig Jamieson one hole; Steven Smail and Daryll Souness beat Calum Burgess and Lewis Bain two holes.

Table

P  W  D  L  F   A  Pts

Longniddry         7  5  0  2 23 11 10
Tantallon          7  5  0  2 19 15 10
Gullane            6  4  0  2 16 13  8
Haddington         7  2  2  3 16  19   6
Musselburgh        6  2  1  3 13 16  5
Glen               7  0  1  6 11  24   1

Division 2

Castle Park 0 North Berwick 5:
David Connachan and Ian Sellwood lost to Mike Gray and Chris Brown 2 and 1; Allan Muirhead and Ricky Thorburn lost to Weston Main and Torquil McInroy one hole; Stuart Elms and Graham Girvan lost to Douglas Turner and Horry Lawson 3 and 2; Brian Thomson and Nicky Brown lost to Euan Lambert and Ross Brydon 2 and 1; Duncan McNeil and John Renton lost to George Cochrane and Gordon Milligan 4 and 3. Juniors: Connor Wilson and Jack Cooper beat Finn Donaldson and Finlay Hutchison 3 and 2.
Gifford 2 Kilspindie 3: Blair Shearer and Colin Shearer lost to David Watters and Graeme White 4 and 3; David Shearer and Stuart Meikle beat Ross Colquhoun and George Gray one hole; Colin Thomson and Gordon Burns beat Cameron Gray and Martin Hay one hole; Mark Fawden and Stephen Doctor lost to Cameron Bourhill and Derek Naples one hole; Kevin Murphy and Steven Doyle lost to Grant Robertson and Gary Porteous 3 and 1.
Thorntree 2 Whitekirk 3: Ian Gordon and Cameron Boyd lost to David Hill and Ian Hazell two holes; Shaun Cunningham and Brian Fairgrieve lost to Andy Ovens and George Ovens 3 and 2; Grant Fleming and Calum Glen beat Ross Millar and Kenny Plain 3 and 2; James Gribben and Craig Baillie beat Craig Fulton and Jack Rogan 4 and 3; Scott Jarvis and Ross Mullen lost to David Jeffrey and David Smith two holes.

Table

P  W  D  L  F   A  Pts

Royal Musselburgh  6  6  0  0 24   6  12
North Berwick      6  5  0  1 23   7  10
Dunbar             6  4  1  1 22   8   9
Gifford            7  3  1  3 18 16  7
Craigielaw         6  3  0  3 16 13  6
Musselburgh Old    5  3  0  2 12  13   6
Castle Park        6  3  0  3 12 17  6
Kilspindie         7  2  0  5 12 22  4
Whitekirk          8  2  0  6 13  27   4
Thorntree          7  0  0  7  6  29   0
Martin Dempster