Scottish Golf Noticeboard

By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman

Duddingston, represented by what was probably the strongest side in terms of handicaps in the event’s history, retained the Dispatch Trophy as the 124th edition concluded with the gorse at the Braids having lost its colour but proving threatening nonetheless.

Matching Mortonhall’s feat in 2018 and 2019, Duddingston made it back-to-back triumphs as newcomers in the historic team tournament as this year’s Edinburgh Leisure-run event was completed on Saturday after being disrupted by bad weather in May.

The morning semi-finals produced wins for Duddingston and six-time winners Silverknowes over Heriot’s FP and Riccarton respectively before the holders came out on top in the afternoon’s trophy decider.

Jamie Duguid and Allyn Dick finished four up on Tam Caldwell and Graham Robertson at the front while Ben Alexander and Craig Pirie ended two up against Chris Milligan at the back to make the winning scoreline 6&5.

Our golf today was incredible,” declared Dick, with a majestic 7-iron from 205 yards from Duiguid to set up a conceded eagle at the par-5 tenth being an example of what their opponents had been up against.

“It is good and it is pleasing,” added Duiguid of being a winner again in the event, admitting it had helped ease the pain of Duddingston losing to Turnhouse in the Edinburgh Summer League quarter-finals this season.

Duguid, last year’s South East District Open, plays off plus five, Dick and Alexander are both off plus three while Pirie is a plus one player.

“This is maybe the strongest team there’s ever been in the event based on handicaps,” observed Dick, who is now the proud owner of seven gold medals after winning five with Carrickvale.

“This one might be the best of all,” he admitted. “Why? Because it is something so important and so historic. It was a fairytale for me to be going for seven golds today and Silverknowes, the team who I regard as the benchmark in the event, were doing likewise.”

On a course that was in superb condition - head greenkeeper Gary Rodger and his team had been widely praised for their work earlier in the year and it was the same for the resumption of the event - Alexander and Pirie were equally delighted to be part of a triumphant team.

“My golf has not been that great recently and foursomes tests you under the gun, especially on this golf course” admitted Alexander, “but it was rewarding to hit the right shots at the right time.”

Pirie, who hails from the west but has been a Duddingston member for the past five years, added: “This is the first time I’ve played in the Dispatch Trophy and it feels absolutely brilliant.

“I didn’t know what to expect as there’s not really anything like this through in the Glasgow area, and it’s such a unique competition. Everyone cares so much about it and this has been a great team to be part of.”

Unable to field the four players from the earlier rounds due to a clash with a former pupils schools’ event in Norfolk, Heriot’s FP went down 8&6 in the morning matches while Silverknowes scraped through at the 19th against Riccarton.

Making his first appearance in the tournament since before the Covid pandemic as a replacement for Keith Reilly, Caldwell maintained his proud record of never having lost in a semi-final.

“It was good to get to the final and I feel I acquitted myself well, especially as I’ve now played 72 holes in three days, but Duddingston were just too strong,” he said with a smile.

Though there was to be no fifth victory for John Archibald, the Heriot’s FP stalwart summed up the work done by the greenkeepers for this year’s event. “It’s a pleasure to be here, especually when the course is in this condition,” he declared.

Results

Semi-finals

Duddingston (Jamie Duguid and Allyn Dick 8; Ben Alexander and Craig Pirie 0); Heriot’s FP (John Archibald and James Cameron 0; John Liddel and Roddy Stevenson 0).

Duddingston won 8&6

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