Golf: Ireland set for great eighth

Duncan IRELAND remained on track to retain the Harry Lauder golf trophy at Portobello with a convincing 6 and 5 victory over Kevin Wylie last night.

Duddingston club manager Ireland has won the venerable title, which dates back to 1924, a remarkable seven times.

Local member John Ralston, fresh from reaching the semi-finals of the Lothians’ Champion of Champions, also won comfortably against Robert Kay to advance to the quarter-finals while 14-year-old Kieran Cantley, from Liberton, the youngest qualifier since the late Ronnie Shade, a former world amateur champion, defeated Steph Walker.

Cantley now faces Portobello member Kenny Craigie.

At the other end of the age scale there is to be no fairytale conclusion for John Williams who was hoping to be the first 60-year-old to win in recent years. Williams, who plays at Portobello and Duddingston, bowed out to Matthew Craigie.

A former winner from Duddingston, John Demple, won through at the 17th,

Last night’s results: M Craigie bt J Williams 5&4, D Ireland bt K Wylie 6&5, J Semple bt A Finlayson 2&1, P Marshall bt H Moriarty 3&1, J Svard bt K Carson 4&2, J Ralston bt R Kay 4&3, K Cantley bt S Walker 3&2, K Craigie bt A Gosman Jnr 2&1.