Latest news with #DispatchTrophy
Scotsman
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hailes lift 125th Dispatch Trophy after 'big turning point' in Braids battle
Young Murrayfield team go down fighting in first appearance in final of historic tournament Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hailes, a Kingsknowe team, withstood a late fightback by first-time finalists Murrayfield to land a third Dispatch Trophy triumph in the 125th edition at a blustery Braids. But, as father and son Steve and Nathan McCulloch savoured a moment to savour along with Danny Crolla and Paul Page, they both admitted that the 'big turning point' had come earlier in the title decider. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Playing at the front against Archie Wyatt and Harry Hawthorne, the McCullochs had just lost the tenth and 11th after being three up at the turn. Hailes team members Steve McCulloch, Nathan McCulloch, Danny Crolla and Paul Page celebrate winning the 125th Edinburgh Evening News Dispatch Trophy | National World It looked as though it could be back to all square after Steve's tee shot at the par-4 12th found some thick stuff on the right and Nathan was forced to take a penalty drop. But, in one of those classic match-play situations, Steve then rolled in a 20-footer up the slope for a par and their opponents three-putted from just over half that distance after paying the price for being above the hole with the approach. Team McCulloch duly won three holes in a row as Hailes regained the upper hand over the double foursome, helped by Crolla and Page just keeping their noses in front at the rear against Cameron Whyte and Stuart Thurlow. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To their credit, though, a young Murrayfield team fought valiantly over the closing stretch, which, in contrast to earlier in the week, was playing into a stiff westerly wind. Both their couples won the 16th and 17th with birdies - Wyatt and Whyte hit quality 8-iron tee shots at the latter - and the gap, having been five with six to play over the double foursome, was suddenly down to just one with a hole to play in each match. It was a pity that plus-five man Wyatt was unable to convert a three-footer at the last to keep the contest alive, though, at the same time, the back Murrayfield pairing had found the gorse with their tee shot. The triumphant Hailes team show off a one-off quaich presented by Alexander Kirkwood & Son to the winners of the 125th Dispatch Trophy | National World Brian McNamara, who was in the first Hailes team to lift the trophy in 1975, was out watching as the Edinburgh Leisure-run tournament concluded, as was Gary Malone, who was in the other winning side along with McCulloch snr in 2015. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's a dream for me to win this again playing with my boy,' said Steve, a 59-year-old who plays off scratch and has won the Hailes championship 11 times on top of his six Kingsknowe title triumphs. 'I thought this opportunity had maybe started to pass me by, so it was nice to get in the team again.' Nathan was a teenager when he caddied in one of the pairings in the winning team a decade ago and admitted that had been a 'lot less stressful' than being one of the players hitting the shots. 'I felt so lucky to play with my dad in this event for the first time a few years ago, when we won a bronze, and, though neither of us felt great about our games coming into this week, we hit a lot of good shots,' said the 25-year-old, who plays off plus one. A third Hailes win in the Edinburgh Leisure-run event was watched by both Brian McNamara, who played in the victorious side in 1975 and also 2015 gold medallist Gary Malone | National World Crolla, a 32-year-old taxi driver off three, now has a gold and a bronze to his name and admitted that felt 'unbelievable' while it was a first medal for Page, who first played in the event nearly 40 years ago. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It is absolutely amazing,' said the 56-year-old one-handicapper of striking gold in an event being supported on this occasion by Golf Finance and Braid Hills Gold Centre, 'and we gelled really well as a team throughout the week.' Murrayfield were bronze medallists in 2023 before this excellent effort, which included a win over Duddingston, winners for the previous two years. 'We are taking it in stages,' said team manager Stevie Anderson, with Wyatt, Hawthorne, Whyte and Thurlow declaring in unison that 'we'll be back next year to try and go one better'. Semi-finals Hailes (Nathan McCulloch and Steve McCulloch 2; Paul Page and Danny Crolla 3); Heriot's FP (Stuart Langlands and Scott Dickson 0; Sam Hall and Steven Sinclair 0). Hailes won 5&4 Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Silverknowes (Keith Reilly and Graham Robertson 1; Chris Milligan and Connor McWatt 0); Murrayfield (Archie Wyatt and Harry Hawthorne 0; Cameron Whyte and Stuart Thurlow 7). Murrayfield won 6&5 Final Hailes (Nathan McCulloch and Steve McCulloch 3; Paul Page and Danny Crolla 0); Murrayfield (Archie Wyatt and Harry Hawthorne 0; Cameron Whyte and Stuart Thurlow 1). Hailes won 2&1
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Silverknowes stars from past support 'Class of 25' in Dispatch Trophy
Former players, including 1984 winner, make appearances at Braids during 125th edition Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Six-time winners Silverknowes have made it to the semi-finals in the 125th Dispatch Trophy after being watched at the Braids by two of the club's pioneers in the event. Mike Muirhead, who now lives in the US, was up to support a side comprising Keith Reilly, Graham Robertson, Chris Milligan and Connor McWatt earlier in the week in the Edinburgh Leisure-run tournament. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Then, on Thursday for the quarter-finals of an event being supported this year by Braid Hills Golf Centre and Golf Finance, 75-year-old Kenny Cooper was out on the course as well to lend his support. Kenny Cooper, who was part of a winning Silverknowes side in the Dispatch Trophy in 1984, pictured with 2025 team members, from left, Connor McWatt, Chris Milligan, Keith Reilly and Graham Robertson | National World Back in 1979, they teamed up with Davie Fraser and Ian Muirhead to claim the first-ever medal - a bronze - won by Silverknowes in the historic team tournament. Five years later, Cooper then joined forces with Stevie Hunter, Ian Randall and Alan Hogg to land the first of those six Silverknowes successes. 'I've got some great memories up here,' admitted Cooper, who had been glad to find a jacket in his car as the cool air took some of the warmth out of the glorious spring sunshine high above the city. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We won three bronze medals before finally getting gold ones and all four of us from that winning team in 1984 are still alive.' Reilly has five gold medals and 14 in total while Robertson has four golds but both Milligan and McWatt are chasing the one that really matters for the first time. 'It's absolutely brilliant that they are through to the semi-finals,' declared Cooper after Milligan and McWatt had been pleased to 'play better than the last two games ' in a hard-earned Thursday triumph over Edinburgh Academicals. Murrayfield, pictured on the right and being represented by Archie Wyatt, Stuart Thurlow, Harry Hawthorne and Cameron Whyte, beat 2023 and 2024 winners Duddingston in the last eight at the Braids | National World Standing between Silverknowes and another final appearance are Murrayfield after they dethroned Duddingston, winners for the past two years, in the last eight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Archie Wyatt and Harry Hawthorne finished three up at the front against Jamie Duguid and Allyn Dick while Cameron Whyte and Stuart Thurlow won three up at the back over Gary Thomson and Craig Pirie. That was sweet revenge for Murrayfield after losing to the same opponents in the semi-finals two years ago after they'd also made it to the last eight in 2022. Team manager Stevie Anderson is the driving force behind Murrayfield's participation in the tournament and his optimism heading into this edition has certainly not proved to be unfounded. Wyatt, who is just back from the US after ending his junior year at Colorado State University-Pueblo, plays off plus five while he said Hawthorne had been knocking in 'lots of putts' on Thursday night. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The other semi-final on Saturday morning sees Hailes, winners in 2015, take on Heriot's FP, who lifted the trophy two years later before getting to the final two years ago. That will be a tough one for Graham Ewart, who, as always, has been at the side of the first tee - Bob Kilgour, another well-kent face in Lothians golf, too - to see the action get underway this week. As a very proud Kingsknowe man, he'd love to see Hailes claim the trophy once again but he's a Herioter, too, so he won't mind them going all the way, either! Semi-final ties 8.00am Hailes v Heriot's FP 8.10am Silverknowes v Murrayfield
Scotsman
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
It's a family affair for Hailes in 125th Dispatch Trophy at Braids
Steve and Nathan McCulloch join forces to book semi-final spot for Kingsknowe club Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ten years after helping Hailes win the Dispatch Trophy, Steve McCulloch is bidding to repeat the feat - and this time playing alongside his son Nathan. The Kingsknowe club progressed to the semi-finals in the 125th edition with a 6&5 win over Kilgour Wealth Management at the Braids. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'm feeling old compared to these young guys,' quipped 59-year-old McCulloch snr of this year's Edinburgh Leisure-run tournament having involved a new era of players. National World 'I love it up here, the course is immaculate, the golf pretty steady - and it is a joy to play with Nathan!' Team McCulloch finished two up at the front against Sean Marc and Jamie McIntosh while Paul Page and Danny Crolla won four up at the rear over James Keggie and Owen Melrose. 'The seventh was a crucial moment as we'd just chucked away the sixth and I drove the green at the seventh,' reported 25-year-old McCulloch jnr, who has now made the last four in his two appearances in the tournament. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is the furthest 32-year-old Crolla has progressed while Page is back in the medals at the age of 56. 'The Dispatch has always been a great event to be involved in,' said Page, the current Hailes champion. 'I only stopped playing in it to let some of the youngsters get to experience it, but I am glad that an opportunity came calling for me this year.' Awaiting Hailes in the semi-finals on Saturday morning are Heriot's FP, who came out on top when the teams met in the last eight in the 2024 edition. In a tight encounter, Heriot's FP edged past the Stephen Gallacher Foundation by one hole, meaning the youngest team in this year's event came up just short in the medal hunt. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'That's us used one of our lives,' declared Stuart Langlands as a shot from his playing partner Scott Dickson, having had to take a penalty drop, crept over the gorse on the green at the seventh. It led to the top Heriot's pairing securing an unlikely half in bogeys there before then winning two of the next three holes against Rory McClafferty and Jake Johnston as that eventually finished all square. At the back, Lothians champion Sam Hall and Steven Sinclair, who came in for the watching Fraser Smith, got off to a 'hot start' but then had to dig deep to finish one up on Alexander Yuill and Callum Kenneally. 'We're looking forward to Saturday,' said Dickson. 'We've been in the semi-finals as well the last two years and hopefully we can finally get a gold medal after picking up a silver and bronze.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Six-time winners Silverknowes won the 18th in both matches to finish two up on Edinburgh Academicals. Hugo Rintoul chipped in for an eagle-3 at the sixth in the back match for Accies, with Graham Robertson holing out for a 2 at the par-4 seventh from 108 yards for Silverknowes at the front minutes afterwards. It won't be a repeat of last year's final in the next round for Silverknowes, though, as Duddingston, the winners for the last two years, were knocked out by Murrayfield. 'I'm really happy for the boys,' said Murrayfield team manager Stevie Anderson of young guns Harry Hawthorne (19), Archie Wyatt (21), Stuart Thurlow (26) and Cameron Whyte (25). Third-round results Hailes bt Kilgour Wealth Management 6&5; Heriot's FP bt Stephen Gallacher Foundation by one hole; Silverknowes bt Edinburgh Academicals by two holes; Murrayfield bt Duddingston 3&1.
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Dispatch Trophy 'bug' biting youngsters in 125th edition at Braids
Seven-time winner hails start of new era for historic team tournamant Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Seven-time winner Allyn Dick has been delighted to see lots of youngsters getting bitten by the Dispatch Trophy 'bug' in the event's 125th edition at the Braids. The Edinburgh Leisure-run tournament reaches the quarter-final phase on Thursday night and a new era of players seems to have been unearthed in the milestone staging. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A team of teenagers representing the Stephen Gallacher Foundation, for example, have made it through to the last eight, where they are taking on Heriot's FP. A team of teenagers have been in action for the Stephen Gallacher Foundation in the 125th Dispatch Trophy at the Braids | National World In last Saturday's opening round, a full team of 19-year-olds - Andrew Hendry (Gullane), Jane Johnston (Royal Burgess), Callum Kenneally (Dunbar) and Dylan Cairns (Rowallan Castle) - got the job done against Turnhouse. Then, against BBT, another Turnhouse team, on Tuesday, Hendry, Johnston and Cairns were joined by Alexander Yuill, a 16-year-old who also plays his golf at Dunbar. In another change for their next match, West Lothian 19-year-old Rory McClafferty is coming in to join forces with Johnston, Yuill and Kenneally. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Archie Wyatt, another promising youngster who is just back from the US at the end of the college season, is playing as well for Murrayfield while Edinburgh Academicals are also being represented by a 'young team'. Both those teams are still standing as well as the event, which is being sponsored by Golf Finance and Braid Hills Golf Centre, reaches the business end. 'It's great to see so many youngsters this year getting the Dispatch Trophy bug, just as I did when I first played in it for Carrickvale,' said Dick, who is now on duty for Duddingston. 'It becomes contagious and seeing these young lads playing for the likes of the Stephen Gallacher Foundation and Murrayfield is what it is all about.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The young players have also attracted followers, with Stuart Johnston, who helps run the Stephen Gallacher Foundation along with Scott Knowles, and his wife Tracey having been out watching their two games. Seven-time winner Allyn Dick joined forces with Jamie Duguid, David Miller and Craig Pirie for Duddingston in Tuesday's second round at the Braids | National World Johnston is a gold medal winner himself, having been part of a triumphant Carrick Knowe team in 1999, while his dad Bobby was a proud member of the Dispatch Trophy committee for a long time. 'I don't think I've seen it as busy around the first tee and out on the course at any time I've played in it and that is also brilliant to see,' observed Dick. Having already knocked out Silverknowes B in the second round, Edinburgh Accies now take on six-time winners Silverknowes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad North Berwick member Peoples is teaming up with brothers Angus and Hugo Rintoul, both of whom are Bruntsfield Links members, as is Fraser Simpson, who came in on Tuesday night for Iain Smith. Playing in different matches, the Rintouls both drove the seventh green - Angus knocking his effort to 12 feet and Hugo then hitting his to ten feet. Bidding to become the first team since Carrickvale did the trick just under 20 years ago to claim three trophy triumphs in a row, Duddingston didn't get it their own way in their Tuesday tussle with Kilgour Property. 'It was incredibly tight,' admitted Dick, who was reunited in the top match with last month's runaway Craigmillar Park Open winner Jamie Duguid but ended all square against Gus Santana and David Downing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At the back, though, former Lothians champion David Miller and Craig Pirie just got the better of John Shepherd and Adam Heslop. Third-round ties 4.30pm Kilgour Wealth Management v Hailes 4.50pm Heriot's v Stephen Gallacher Foundation 5.10pm Edinburgh Academicals v Silverknowes 5.30pm Murrayfield v Duddingston
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Jamie McIntosh winning his Braids battle in 125th Dispatch Trophy
Kilgour Wealth Management player overcomes degenerative disc disorder to make last eight Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Jamie McIntosh overcame a personal Braids battle to book a last-eight spot on his Dispatch Trophy debut with Kilgour Wealth Management in the event's 125th edition at the Braids. McIntosh is teaming up with Broomieknowe clubmate Sean Marc and James Keggie and Owen Melrose, who are both Archerfield Links members as well as playing at Silverknowes and Turnhouse respectively. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The quartet came through the second round of the Edinburgh Leisure-run event at the expense of Newbattle team Donuts@the9th, winning 2&1 over the double foursome. In a brilliant match, the better-ball between Marc and McIntosh and their opponents, Alisdair Dougal and John Nisbet, was 11 under. Kilgour Wealth Management's Sean Marc tees off in the second round of the 125th Dispatch Trophy watched by playing partner Jamie McIntosh at the Braids | National World 'They were good,' said Marc, a former Lothians champion, of the golf played by Dougal and Nisbet as they finished one up but Keggie and Melrose won three up at the back against Fraser Jervis and Syed Ali. McIntosh, a former Stuart Cup winner for leading the Lothians Championship qualifying, is playing at the Braids for the first time while Marc has encountered it in just one previous edition of the tournament. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've got a degenerative disc disorder and could actually use a buggy as I am on medication for it but try not to,' said McIntosh, whose sister Kate recently retained the Midlothian Women's Championship. 'It's not exactly the flattest of courses and I was hobbling around a bit on Saturday.' Marc's golf is a bit more limited these days due to the fact he's got two-year-old twin boys, but he said with a smile: 'My wife is very understanding.' Kilgour Wealth Management's opponents in Thursday's quarter-finals will be Hailes, who moved a step closer to repeating a 2015 win with a 7&6 win over Edinburgh Western. 'We were level par despite a couple of wobbly shots,' reported Danny Crolla, who is playing alongside Paul Page in the back Hailes pairing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But Nathan McCulloch, who is teaming up with his dad Steve at the front, admitted: 'We did not play well at all, but it was one of those nights when all the bounces went in our favour.' Heriot's were represented in the second round by Sam Hall, Scott Dickson, Stuart Langlands and Fraser Smith | National World In a repeat of the 2023 semi-finals, Heriot's came out on top once more against Heriot's Quad but only after a 'typical Braids match'. Euan Gordon and Scott Johnston finished two up at the front against Scott Langlands and Scott Dickson but Lothians champion Sam Hall and Fraser Smith ended three up on Roddy Stevenson and debutant Max Nicholson Brooks at the rear. 'It came down to a toss of the coin on the final hole,' said Dickson of it being halved in the back match. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Next up for the 2023 losing finalists is a mouth-watering match against the youngsters representing Stephen Gallacher Foundation. In a 7&6 win over Turnhouse team BBT, Alexander Yuill, who was playing alongside Dylan Cairns, came close to a hole in one at the ninth before sinking a birdie putt at the 15th to clinch victory. At the front, Jake Johnston and Andrew Hendry were four up through six and 'played pretty solid from start to finish'. The other teams still standing in an event being sponsored by Golf Finance and Braid Hills Golf Centre are six-time winners Silverknowes, Murrayfield, Edinburgh Academicals and hat-trick chasers Duddingston. Second-round results Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kilgour Wealth Management bt Donuts@9th 2&1; Hailes bt Edinburgh Western 7&6; Heriot's bt Heriot's Quad one hole; Stephen Gallacher Foundation bt BBT 7&6; Edinburgh Academicals bt Silverknowes B 4&3; Silverknowes bt Harrison 5&4; Murrayfield bt Braids United 10&9; Duddingston bt Kilgour Property 2&1.
