Golf: Rivals strengthen for the next instalment of Summer League

Davie Ewen, a member of the Carrickvale side that has won the Dispatch Trophy for the last three years, has been added to the ranks and so, too, has rising star Graeme Duncan.

Runner-up behind Barassie's Jack McDonald in the Scottish Boys' Stroke-Play Championship at Ladybank, he's come from Shotts, making the same switch as Allyn Dick did last year.

Dick, in fact, has influenced both of the new additions as Ewen is his partner in that successful Carrickvale side up at the Braids.

"Kingsknowe are determined to go one better than the last two years and finally bring home the Summer League trophy," said team captain Bill Buchan, pictured. "At the same time, though, we realise that to have a chance of doing so we are going to have to play well to even get out of a very tough section."

In that with them are Craigmillar Park, West Linton, Broomieknowe, Bruntsfield and the Merchants.

"To try to help us prepare we have changed our pre-season routine, making it a bit more competitive, and are hoping that will help us over the coming months," added Buchan.

"We continue to have a strong squad, and, whilst losing Stuart Johnston to Duddingston, the addition of Davie Ewen and Graeme Duncan to our squad means, as always, competition for places is going to be tough."

Broomieknowe have lost three of their mainstays from the past seasons but team captain Scott Porter says they'll have a good mix of experience and youth in their side this year.

"Although they played regularly last year as juniors, Jamie McIntosh and Niall Webster will appear this year as seniors for the first time," said Porter.

"Club champion Sean Marc will start his second season as a senior and they will join experienced campaigners such as Kevin Hastings, Kenny Smith and Ross Thomson in making up what I feel will be a strong squad which should provide a good test for the other teams in our section.

"We would love to make it out of the group stage this year as we came very close last year, missing out on 'goal difference'."

Former Scottish champion Simon Mackenzie has taken on the role of team captain at West Linton this season and will have a familiar looking pool at his disposal.

He said: "David Greenshields has suspended his membership but John MacWilliams is able to play this year. We have a good pool of players and are looking to do well but the section we are in is a competitive one."

Craigmillar Park will be without Steven and Jamie Neilson, Richard Gill and Ross McDonald for one reason or another this time around but team captain Keith Thorburn is excited about the upcoming campaign.

"I am going to have a very young team going out there on a Tuesday night and their temperament is superb, so there could be a few surprises from Craigie," he said.

"There will be the odd senior popping in to cover absences but we could certainly have one surprise up our sleeve in 15-year-old Willem Kerr."

Royal Burgess, the defending champions and winners for the past two years, are in the same group as Lothianburn, Baberton, Prestonfield, Swanston and Musselburgh "We have no new members who will feature in the team but Gordon Archibald, who plays off two, will appear in the squad for the first time and in May we will have James Ross back from Michigan State for the summer," said Royal Burgess team captain Richard Hughes.

"Our section will be tough but our experience means we hold no fears of going anywhere and trying to get a result. The aim for us is, as always, to try and head your section and get a home tie in the quarter-finals.

"I think Kingsknowe, Dalmahoy and Turnhouse will all have big claims this year and don't forget Swanston, who have a good young side and reached the semi-finals last year."

In another tasty-looking section in the UK Accident Repair-sponsored event, the line up consists of Glencorse, Dalmahoy, Turnhouse, Mortonhall and Newbattle.

David Marshall and Kevin Messer, who have both played for Dalmahoy in recent seasons, are now at Turnhouse, but Iain Campbell believes the Marriott men can still make their presence felt. "With our recent success against Burgess in the final of the West Edinburgh Winter League, we have a team that has a good bit of confidence and great team spirit," said Campbell.

"We also have a new addition in Sandy Phillips, a 25-year-old who was a member of Murcar. Sandy previously held a handicap of +1 and represented the NE Boys and Youths at county level. After not playing golf for around two years he now plays off three.

"We are aware that our division of Newbattle, Mortonhall, Glencorse, Turnhouse and ourselves is a strong division which will make any away wins tough. The main key for us is to follow on from the winter success and aim to ensure we have no home hiccups." At Glencorse, Alastair Shanks will be sending out a team that has both youth in the likes of Sean McGarvey and Iain Melville and the experience of Andrew Wight and George Macgregor. "Hopefully a few fringe players will be able to push through this season as well and start fighting for places on the team," said Shanks.

In the remaining section, Duddingston will be hoping to improve on recent performances when they face Torphin Hill, Murrayfield, Silverknowes, Liberton and Ratho Park.

"We have a couple of young players vying for a team place and we also have two previous team members staging a return," said new Duddingston team captain Steve Gilhooley. "Stuart Johnston has rejoined the club and Keith Millar has overcome a 15-month injury and aims to represent Duddingston in the coming season. Team selection will be difficult with our added strength but it is a nice problem to have."

At Ratho, Brian Lothian has taken over team duties from Colin Binnie and he said: "We have no real changes apart from John Thomson, an existing member who, due to work commitments, has not been able to play until this season.

"I'm also hoping to introduce one or two younger members who have played well in the Winter League, helping us get to the semi-final, where we lost to the Burgess but gave a good account of ourselves."