Ross Noon on course for scratch success in East Alliance finale

Defending champion out in front in points table heading into championship event at Gullane

Ross Noon, left, pictured receiving the Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance Championship trophy from president Donny Munro at Gullane 12 months ago. Picture: Alan Greenshields

Defending champion Ross Noon heads into Wednesday’s Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance Championship at Gullane with one hand already on a trophy.

The Musselburgh Old player holds a 40-point lead over Newbattle’s Craig Surgeon in the season-long scratch order of merit standings and is odds-on to claim that prize.

That’s despite Surgeon landing the scratch spoils in the final regular event of the season with a two-under-par 65 at Falkirk Tryst.

The Iain Ramsay Memorial Trophy was the silverware up for grabs in that event, with Glenbervie’s Robert Patrick getting his name on it as he pipped the host club’s Willie Miller in a countback after tying with net 65s.

Top trainee was Ratho Park’s Ciaran Paterson on 72 while the senior spoils were shared on 68 by Colin Ramsay (Kilspindie) and John McDonald (Cowglen).

The handicap order of merit was decided after that event, with Danny Airens (Falkirk Tryst) topping it with 170 points as Surgeon and Fraser Smith (Merchants) shared second spot on 137 points.

As top senior, Kilmacolm’s Neil McGarva gets his name on The Harvey Butterworth Trophy.

A visit to Longniddry prior to the trip to the Falkirk area resulted in the Pitreavie Trophy being claimed by Pumperston’s Derrick Smith as he pipped Bathgate trainee pro Joe Bryce with a better inward half after they’d tied on 66.

Played for at Goswick, meanwhile, Duddingston six-handicapper Casey Crooks won the Alliance Trophy with an impressive net 66 that contained an eagle and seven birdies at The Open regional qualifying venue in Northumberland.

Noon shared the scratch spoils in that event with Bathgate’s Graham Bell, who sits third in the order of merit standings heading into the season finale at Gullane.

That is being played on the No 2 Course, with the 72 players in the field probably having to settle to battle it out over 17 holes due to a rolling programme for irrigation work meaning one hole is being closed at a time at the moment.