Golf: Dispatch Trophy veterans on tough journey to final

SILVERKNOWES and Carrickvale, the two most recent winners, have the chance to set up a mouth-watering final showdown after finding themselves in opposite sides of the draw for the Dispatch Trophy at the Braids.

Silverknowes, winners for the past two years, launch their latest defence of the trophy in the second match on the tee in the 113th staging of the Edinburgh Leisure-sponsored event on Saturday, May 26.

It’s against Munro Heating, a team which normally consists of players with plenty of Dispatch Trophy experience so it won’t be the easiest of starts for Silverknowes.

Should they win, either Edinburgh Thistle Old Pretenders or Royal Bank of Scotland will be lying in wait for the holders the following day.

Potential third-round opponents include Turnhouse team BBT with Silverknowes then facing the possibility of a tasty last-eight clash with some of their clubmates under the guise of Cramond.

Also in that segment of the draw are Third and Temple, though one of them will fall at the first hurdle after they were drawn against each other in the plum first-round tie.

In the top quarter, which sees all eight teams get byes into the second round, the teams with their sights on making it at least to the semi-finals include Watsonian, Stewart’s-Melville and Riccarton.

Carrickvale, the winners three years in a row before Silverknowes did the double, start their bid to regain the trophy against Edinburgh Thistle.

That will get their attention straight away on the opening day, as would a potential third-round clash with Carrick Knowe.

Looking farther into the crystal ball, Harrison and Heriot’s could be quarter-final opponents for Carrickvale.

Barnton Hotel, last year’s beaten finalists, are also in the bottom half of the draw and, coincidentally, face Munro Heating B in their opening encounter.

Also in their quarter of the draw are former winners Rhodes and Bank of Scotland, who face each other in the final first-round tie.

Most of the usual suspects are among the 56 teams in the field while there are also some newcomers. They include Colinton Mains Under-21s, who are in for a baptism of fire against Harrison.

Full draw

First round, Saturday, May 26:

9.30: Edinburgh Thistle Old Pretenders v Royal Bank.

9.40: Silverknowes v Munro Heating.

10.00: Bruntsfield Allied v Ye Monks of Ye Braids.

10.10: BBT v Lochend.

10.20: Third v Temple Golfing Society.

10.30: Heriot’s Quad v Kilgour Wealth Management.

10.40: Cramond v Buckstone Golfing Society.

10.50: T&S Selfstore v RICS.

11.10: Caermount v MCBA.

11.20: Edinburgh Thistle v Carrickvale.

11.30: FORE v Hailes B.

11.40: Harrison Golf Society v Carrick Knowe.

12.00: Harrison Seniors v Edinburgh Western.

12.10: Kilgour Private Clients v Temple Seniors.

12.20: Heriot’s v Braids United.

12.30: Colinton Mains Under-21s v Harrison.

12.40: Colinton Mains v Kingston.

12.50: Barnton Hotel v Munro Heating B.

1.10: Carrickvale B v British Rugby Club of Paris.

1.20: Kilgour Employee Benefits v RJM Kitchens & Bathrooms.

1.30: Aegon v Edinburgh Thistle B.

1.40: Hailes C v Silverknowes Fifty.

2.00: Hailes v Portobello.

2.10: Rhodes v Bank of Scotland.

Second round, Sunday, May 27:

9.00: Harrison B v Watsonian.

9.15: Evening News v Network Cooling.

9.30: Stewart’s-Melville v Riccarton.

9.45: Edinburgh Western B v Scottish Universities Golf Society.