Golf: Silverknowes start to dream of double after latest win

• Royal Burgess' James Ross plays out of a bunker. Picture: Ian Rutherford

They won 5-3 at Liberton in their latest Group 3 match and have dropped just one point in their opening seven matches.

Keith Reilly, Paul Heggie and Ian Randall gave the visitors a great start by winning the first three games, while Tam Caldwell also secured a point against the vastly-experienced Robert Jack.

But the key win was delivered by Craig Scott, who came from one down with two to play to beat David Kerr after the Liberton man found tree trouble at both those holes. Liberton's winners on the night were Ross Munro, who beat Stuart Cup winner Graham Robertson, Clark Munro and John Liddel.

Buoyed by a first win of the campaign in their previous outing, Ratho Park secured a point at Duddingston and could easily have come away with a win.

"They always looked to be in the driving seat and handled the conditions better," said Duddingston team manager Steve Gilhooley. "Possible lack of experience is what may have cost them winning."

Stuart Imrie, who kept up his impressive season with a one-hole win over David Miller, Scott Murray, Gregor Drummond and Graham Binnie won for the visitors, with Duncan Low, Gus Santana, Keith Millar and John Shepherd replying for Duddingston.

Murrayfield's hopes of securing second spot in Group 3 suffered a setback when they went down 5-3 at Torphin Hill.

Colin Dick, Mike Horne and Alan Daley delivered the goods for the visitors, but Wayne Fleming, who beat the on-form Derek Miller, Gary McNeil, Craig Terry, Troy O'Connor and Marcus Brown gave Torphin their first success on the campaign.

Defending champions Royal Burgess are the first side to book their place in the quarter-finals. They made it eight wins in a row with a whitewash against Prestonfield.

Scott Johnston battled bravely in the top match but eventually succumbed to Stephen Buckley, who was four-under-par for the 17 holes played in horrible conditions.

James Ross won six out of eight holes from the seventh as he quickly put another point on the board, with the Barnton men producing another polished performance thanks to other wins from John Yuille, Ian Taylor, John Fraser, Fraser McCluskey, Brian Tait and Grant Pollock.

"This confirms us as winners of our section with three matches to go," said Burgess team manager Richard Hughes. "We play a good Swanston team at home this Friday, during our Club Championship week and we will leave team selection until very late as our semi finals are on Thursday night and the prospect of match play all week and a 36 hole final on the Sunday is a tough week. With a league match on Friday, we will let the players decide whether they wish to make themselves available or not."

Neighbours Bruntsfield were also in impressive form as they stepped up their challenge in Group 2 with a 7-1 home win over Broomieknowe.

Zander Culverwell, Kevin Cattanach, John Liddle, Euan Paterson, David Simpson, Ally Ritchie and Keith MacKenzie were Bruntsfield's match winners, with newly-crowned club champion Alan Anderson the odd man out as he lost on the last to young Jamie McIntosh.

Glencorse cemented their position at the top of Group One with a big home win over Newbattle, who have also had a decent season so far far.

After being three down with six to play, Sean McGarvey produced a fighting half helped by birdies at the 13th and 14th against Stuart Thorburn.

John Hunter also secured a half point for the visitors, but that was all they could muster as wins from Derek Thomson, Neil Shillinglaw, Andrew Wight, Iain Melville, Alastair Shanks and Mike Louden, a late replacement for Keith Young, gave Glencorse a 7-1 success.

"This was always going to be a hard match and it keeps the momentum going following on from our two away victories," said Shanks.