Golf: Culverwell, Reilly and Muir suffer Champions defeats

FORMER Lothians champion Zander Culverwell, Silverknowes star Keith Reilly and Dunbar's Dean Muir were among the casualties in the second round of the Lothians Champion of Champions tournament.

Representing Bruntsfield Links, Culverwell failed to make home advantage count as he lost to The Glen's George Thomson, while Reilly also suffered an upset on his own patch in losing 3 and 2 to Binivell's John Liddle.

Muir was knocked out by John Archibald, his club secretary who also plays at Dunbar but used his knowledge of the Merchants to good effect to book a place in the last 32.

Others through to that stage include Glencorse's Keith Young, who won more easily than he'd probably have expected against Mark Timmins (Pumpherston), Stephen Marshall of Riccarton and Haddington's Keith Nicholson, the four-time winner beating Scott Hardie (Longniddry 918).

Winterfield's Graham Davidson, who lifted the title in 2008, received a walkover, as did Ravelston's Ian Thomson at the expense of Carrickvale champion Craig Elliot.

Three second-round matches went to the 19th – Michael Burnett squeezing past BBT's Alastair Taylor at Harburn, Lochcraig's David Graham pipping Gordon Duff (Register House) and Grant Milne, the Luffness New representative, recording a notable success against Olly McCrone at Turnhouse.

Milne now meets Lindsay Gordon, another Turnhouse man but flying the flag for Gullane in this event and a 4 and 3 winner over Douglas Zuill (Edinburgh Academicals) in his latest match.