Tributes are paid as popular Lothians golf stalwart Muir dies aged 62

BOBBY MUIR, who won the Lothians Championship in 1975 and was a popular figure at both Broomieknowe and West Linton, has died suddenly at the age of 62.

Muir grew up in Lasswade, where his father owned the Laird & Dog Hotel, and won the Broomieknowe club championship in 1973 and 1974.

His good run continued with that Lothians title triumph at Monktonhall, where beat Lothianburn's Harvey Brown by 4 and 3 in the final.

"There was a great Broomieknowe support there that day and we all got soaked to the skin," recalled David Kirkwood, who was Muir's best man and vice versa.

"But there was still a major celebration back at the clubhouse."

Muir switched to West Linton after meeting wife Joyce, who played her golf there.

The couple celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary at the club last year – the same location as their wedding day function.

A year after joining in 1981, he won the club championship and duly retained the title for the next two years.

Muir ran the West Linton pro shop with Neil Hogg for a spell in 1994 and, for the last five years, was non-playing captain of the West Linton Summer League team.

"Bobby was an institution," added Kirkwood.

"He was a straight hitter and had a great short game. He was such an affable bloke and fitted in with the bricks at West Linton after moving there."

His funeral is at 2pm on Wednesday at Mortonhall Crematorium.

DEFENDING champions Baberton won at the 20th in their quarter-final match against Kingsknowe in the Edinburgh Women's Inter-Club tournament at Monktonhall last night.

In the other matches, Broomieknowe beat Musselburgh 2 and 1, Lothianburn won by the same score against Prestonfield while Craigmillar Park were 6 and 5 winners against Merchants.

RAYMOND RUSSELL shot a superb 65 to lead by a shot going into today's third round of the Allianz Open Ctes d'Armor Bretagne on the Challenge Tour.

THREE Lothians players – Fraser Thain (West Linton), Michael Bacigalupo (Longniddry) and Greg Smail (Craigielaw) – were lying joint-second, just three shots off the lead, after firing opening 72s in the Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths' Championship at Monifieth.