'Fossil' Kenny Walker turning back clock for Royal Burgess

Former world junior champion Kenny Walker has overcome feeling like a “fossil” to be part of one Royal Burgess team triumph this summer - and now he’s on the trail of another one.

Royal Burgess won the Edinburgh Inter-Club Tournament with a team comprising of, from left, Kenny Walker, Ciaran Paterson, John Fraser and Jake Johnston in the final.

The 54-year-old, who had a lengthy spell in the professional ranks before being reinstated as an amateur, has already helped the Barnton club win this season’s Edinburgh Inter-Club event.

Now Walker, who has been the star man in the round-robin phase, is hoping Royal Burgess can also come out on top in the Edinburgh Summer League.

The seven-time winners have secured home advantage against Musselburgh, who are bidding to land a fourth title but first since 1977.

“This year I have been assistant to our team manager, Ian Jeffrey,” said Walker, who won the Doug Sanders World Junior Championship in Aberdeen in 1984.

“It has helped fill up my time and playing the friendly, competitive matches has been fun, even if I feel a bit of a fossil playing against all these young, long hitters.

“Royal Burgess is now a bit of a hotbed of young talent and we are trying to get the young guys excited to play these matches.

“Cameron Adam and Ciaran Paterson have played a lot and we have another two young stars in the pipeline for next year.”

Waker and fellow golden oldie John Fraser played in all four games in the Edinburgh Inter-Club title triumph, which also involved Paterson, George Sampson and Jake Johnston.

After opening with wins over Silverknowes and hosts Mortonhall, Burgess beat Turnhouse in a tight semi-final before edging out Duddingston as the final went right to the wire.

“It was a long, weary day and a bit nerve wracking for an old guy like me,” said Walker, who also won both the Scottish Boys Stroke-Play and Scottish Open Stroke-Play as a youngster, of that success.

David Miller won the Royal Burgess championship for the first time earlier this year, but he’s representing Duddingston in this event, having done so for a number of years.

Bidding for a first title triumph since 2006, the eight-time winners are also through to the quarter-finals, where they will entertain two-time champions Newbattle.

“There is a great team spirit in the Duddingston camp this year, which our team manager, Gordon Milligan, must take a lot of credit for,” said Miller.

“I’ve been a member at Duddingston for over 20 years now and I believe that this is the strongest team we’ve assembled. Craig Pirie, Andy Fairbairn, Shaun Gordon, Jamie Duguid to name a few have been great additions in recent years.

“We must have seven or eight players now with a plus handicap!”

Turnhouse the 2016 and 2018 winners, take on six-time champions Kingsknowe while the remaining last-eight match between Craigielaw and Murrayfield involves clubs seeking a first title success.

“The Summer League this year has been a pleasant surprise for us,” admitted Turnhouse champion Steven Armstrong. “Our team is evolving with some of the younger guys starting to play more games. This is great for the future.”

Craigielaw’s title challenge is being spearheaded by Angus Carrick, the newly-crowned Scottish Amateur champion.

“We’ve have had a great season so far and hopefully we can keep the momentum going and ultimately give winning the title a good go,” he said.

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