Golf: Inter Cities clash ideal tonic for pride of Royal Burgess

THE golfers of Royal Burgess will be out to pick themselves up from a rare disappointment when they fly the flag for Edinburgh in this season's Inter Cities Cup.

The Barnton club face Cathkin Braes in Glasgow on Sunday in the first leg of the event with the incentive of becoming the first side to retain the trophy.

Royal Burgess set up that opportunity by retaining the Edinburgh Summer League last year but another title they held recently has been taken by Dalmahoy.

In the final of the West Edinburgh Winter League, the Marriott men won a sudden-death play-off after an exciting tie at Bruntsfield ended in a 2-2 draw.

"We had won the title for the last three years and five times in the last six years so we are obviously upset at losing but all credit to Dalmahoy who deserved it on the day," said Burgess team manager Richard Hughes. "But we have to pick ourselves up quickly for the defence of the Inter Cities Cup.

"We have set the bar high over the last couple of years and, before last Sunday's final, we had played our last 43 matches in all competitions with 40 wins, two draws and only one defeat. We have to show some character now and step up to the plate as we are not only representing our club but also our city and hope to be the first team to get our name on the Inter Cities Cup (the second leg is at the Barnton on 11 April) for a second time."

Robert Carson and Stephen Smith were Dalmahoy's heroes at Bruntsfield, where they beat Stephen Buckley and Grant Hill at the second extra hole to claim a sweet success for new team captain Iain Campbell.

Played under a fourball better-ball format, Buckley and Hill had earlier bagged eight birdies between them in beating Dougie Hunter and Sandy Phillips by 4 and 3, with Ian Taylor and Grant Pollock providing the other point for Burgess with a 2 and 1 win over Brad Muir and Stephen Murray.

But Dalmahoy hit back through Campbell and Chris Brown, 3 and 2 winners over John Yuille and Brian Tait, and Carson and Smith, who triumphed 3 and 2 over John Fraser and Doug Ross in the anchor match.

The captains decided who played in the play-off and, after the 19th was halved in pars, Smith holed a 15-footer for a winning birdie at the next.