14-year-old Dispatch Trophy hopeful moved from London to Edinburgh for 'love of golf'
Golf correspondent Martin Dempster previews the last-16 ties in historic team tournament at Braids
Harry Mody’s “love for golf” persuaded his mum and dad to move to Scotland from the London area and the 14-year-old rising star is being hailed as Swanston’s “shining light”.
The tag has been earned on the back of Mody being the Capital club’s top performer so far in this season’s Edinburgh Summer League. “He’s won two games and drawn another one, with only one of those games being at home,” said Mark Evans.
Now Mody, who had a spell at Merchiston Castle after his move from the south of England, is representing home club Swanston for the first time in the Dispatch Trophy, having made a winning debut in the historic event as he joined forces with Evans, Paul Stewart and Nick Harrison to record a 3&2 victory over MCBA on Saturday.
“Wow!” he declared of the Edinburgh Leisure-run tournament, which was inaugurated in 1890 and is being held for the 126th time. “It really is an honour to play in a tournament this big.”
Mody’s next test at the Braids is a big one, with five-time winners Carrickvale, represented by Allyn Dick, Paul Cunningham, Gregor Maiden and Ross Colquhoun, Swanston’s opponents in Tuesday’s last-16 matches.
But he moved to Scotland to experience the courses in the sport’s cradle and, even though he’d only played one practice round, the newcomer handled his first competitive outing on this particular one very well indeed.
“Harry is pretty much one of the first names on our Summer League team sheet - he’s the club’s shining light at the moment,” said Evans.
As was the case on Saturday, dad Kiran and mum Sonal will be out supporting Mody as Swanston bid to pull off a shock.
“We lived in East London before moving to Essex but then packed up everything six years ago for Harry’s love of golf,” declared Kiran.
Tuesday night’s opening tie sees Murrayfield, last year’s beaten finalists, take on a Turnhouse team that includes Steven Armstrong, who played in The Open at Royal Birkdale in 1998.
“We’ve got one goal left and that’s to go and win it,” admitted Stuart Thurlow of Murrayfield’s aim this week after being perennial challengers since first entering the event in 2017.
Armstrong, meanwhile, has his sights set on completing a full set of top titles on the Capital circuit. “Winning the Dispatch would be great as I don’t think anyone has won all the big events in the Lothians,” said the 1991 LGA Boys’ champion and 2004 LGA Amateur champion who was also part of a Turnhouse title-winning side in the LGA Team Tournament in 2018.
At the opposite end of the draw, defending champions Hailes take on Heriot’s FP, with the latter’s Scott Dickson delighted to see the sun out for Saturday’s opening day in an event being sponsored by Braid Hills Golf Centre.
“It’s great to see a day like this,” he said, smiling, “as we’ve been out in the cold all the time lately and I’m sick of it!”
The condition of the course also helped put smiles on the faces of competitors. “It is tremendous,” observed Armstrong, “and a big shout out to Edinburgh Leisure.”
With Braids head greenkeeper Scott Higgins in their line up, Edinburgh Leisure are also through to the third round, taking on Turnhouse team BBT, who only got into the event following the withdrawal of Braids United.
Third-round ties
4.15m Murrayfield v Turnhouse
4.25pm Dalmahoy v Kilspindie
4.35pm Edinburgh Western v Thistle 1870
4.50pm Harrison B v Riccarton A
5.00pm Swanston v Carrickvale
5.10pm Edinburgh Leisure v BBT
5.20pm Stewart’s Melville FP v Heriot’s Quad
5.30pm Hailes v Heriot’s FP