Dalmeny Estate GC suffered a 4-2 defeat at Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club, almost 135 years to the day after the East Lothian course hosted its sixth and final Open Championship.
Back in 1889, after four rounds, Musselburgh’s Willie Park Jnr and Andrew Kirkcaldy could not be separated, tied on 155 shots, so the winner of the 29th Open was then decided over a 36-hole play-off on November 11.
Willie Park Jun won by five shots to become the fifth golfer from Musselburgh to win one or more Open Championships and it was around 15 years later that he designed the golf course at the 5th Lord Rosebery’s Estate near South Queensferry, hence the biannual match.
The latest edition of the long-standing clash proved close, with several matches going to the last green, but the home side prevailed in what was Dalmeny’s last match of the season.
Steven Armstrong, a former Lothians champion, was in the Dalmeny team alongside the club’s two captains, Brenda and Ian Bell and the highlight of the match was a near hole in one by Wullie Ruffle, secretary of the Dalmeny club, on the fifth, named the Sea Hole.
Results: Musselburgh names first: Kieran Blyth and Kevin Wylie bt Robin Hulett and Steven Armstrong; Mark Macwhinne and Stevie Peters halved with Graham Alston and Chris McPhee; Eddie Whoriskey and John Nisbet halved with Ian Bell and Mark Cottle; Ian McCaskey and Rob Little lost to Ian Souza and Brenda Bell; Ian Stewart and David Blackshaw bt Ricky Simpson and Kevin Ferguson; Alan Tweedie and Mike McGovern bt Andy Allan and Wullie Ruffle.
PICTURE: Ready for battle: (left to right) Wullie Ruffle, Andy Allan, Alan Tweedie and Mike McGovern
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