Royal Burgess one step from fifth Summer League title

Royal Burgess had to dig deep to beat Kingsknowe 5-4 in their semi-final at Brunstfield, while Dalmahoy won by the same margin against West Linton at Kingsknowe.

In the first of those Pollock (Scotrans) Ltd-sponsored encounters, Stevie Buckley typified his team’s fighting spirit by winning 2 and 1 over Steve McCulloch after being one down with five to play. East of Scotland champion Allyn Dick then levelled the match in beating Sandy Gray 3 and 2 before Paul Page put Kingsknowe in front with a 2 and 1 victory over Brian Tait.

John Fraser celebrated his call up to the Scotland Seniors side with a 2 and 1 win over Graeme Fraser to level the scores again.

Doug Ross had been three up in his match but found himself one down to Andy Rowe with two to play. A 4 at 17 was good enough to square the match and that was how it stayed.

John Yuille put the champions in front with a 4 and 3 win over Mike Foley and Grant Pollock recovered from a two-hole deficit to defeat Scott Knowles 3 and 2, leaving the Barnton side needing only half a point from the remaining two matches to reach the final.

Marc Cairnie, however, fought back from being two down to defeat the other Burgess  senior Internationalist, Fraser McCluskey, 3 and 2, which left match No. 8 to decide the result.

Pressure told when Danny Munro three-putted 18 to leave Gordon Archibald with a three-foot par putt which he duly sank to send Royal Burgess through by the narrowest of margins.

“We knew this would be a tight match between two very good sides and we are delighted to be in another final,” said Royal Burgess team manager Richard Hughes.

In the other match,  Dalmahoy’s mix of youth and experience saw them come out on top against a West Linton side that was missing a couple of key players.

“If we’d had them it may have changed the result but, on the whole, the Dalmahoy players were better on the day,” admitted West Linton team manager Simon Mackenzie.

Three games went to the 18th, with Sandy Phillips producing the best golf of the day as he covered 15 holes in five-under in beating Stevie Smith.

Match details

Royal Burgess 5, Kingsknowe 4: S Buckley bt S McCulloch 2 and 1; A Gray lost to A Dick 3 and 2; B Tait lost to P Page 2 and 1; J Fraser bt G Fraser 2 and 1; D Ross halved with A Rowe; J Yuille bt M Foley 4 and 3; G Pollock bt S Knowles 3 and 2; G Archibald halved with D Munro; F McCluskey lost to M Cairnie 3 and 2.

Dalmahoy 5, West Linton 4: D Hunter lost to S Mackenzie 2 and 1; S Phillips bt S Smith 4 and 3; R Carson bt S Walter 5 and 3; G Lovie lost to S McQueen 2 and 1; C Cochrane bt John McWilliams one hole; M Naysmith halved with S O’Brien; D Marshall halved with C Taylor; S Cochrane lost to N Barr 2 and 1; Chris Brown b Scott Walker 3 and 2.