Dalmeny Estate Golf Club edged Royal & Sun Alliance by a point in their annual match played in glorious conditions over the links course on the edge of the River Forth near South Queensferry.
The match was on a knife edge but the final pair of Andy Allan and Kevin Ferguson held their nerve to gain a vital half to secure victory in the 89th year of the encounter.
Ferguson had an interesting round. Playing his third shot to the green on the long fifth he ended up below the bug tree which sits next to the green. When he got there he found the ball had ended up in a pheasant next.
And Ian Arthur, playing the Dalmeny-based course for the first time, fired his second shot from the eighth fairway to the wrong green. His ball ended up just short of the ninth, next to Dalmeny House.
His opponents were so immersed in conversation that they hadn’t noticed that Ian had played to the wrong green.
However, his tricky third shot landed on the eighth green and he bravely sunk his put to win the hole with a four, net three.
Results: Dalmeny Estate Golf Club names first: Robin Hulett and Martin McCuish bt Matt Edwards and Andy Watson 4 and 3; Mark Cottle and Tom Pithie bt Chris Jackson and Callum Jackson 2 and 1; Andy Allan and Kevin Ferguson halved with Ian Scott and Scott Preston; Colin Campbell and Doug Wylie lost to Kenny Fegans and Ian Arthur 5 and 4; Alan Gibson and Chris McPhee lost to Ian Fraser and Collins Moffat 3 and 2; Willie Ruffle and Ian Souza bt George Gray and Ian Ross 5 and 4.
Meanwhile, Ricky Simpson, using a five hybrid, won the One Club event with a net 80, edging Willie Ruffle by a shot with Andy Allan third with a net 84.
Club secretary Ruffle confirmed that the One Club competition is played at Dalmeny to honour Holmes Chapel-born, the late Sir Henry Cotton, a three-time Open champion (1934, 1937 and 1948), who was a great friend of the 6th Earl Rosebery and spent many a timne as a guest at Dalmeny House.
Ruffle added: “During one of his stays, Sir Henry sited new trees on the golf course, thereby lengthening it considerably. The new par for the course was made by Sir Henry using a 7 iron and we have carried on the tradition every since.”
For the record, Ruffle has won the event on several occasions, but not this time.
PICTURE: The teams before the off at Dalmeny Estate
PRIZE GUY: Ricky Simpson proudly holds the One Club silverware
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