Baberton battle back to deny Ratho Park in Winter League final

Baberton celebrate their title success. Junior Jake Edgecombe is pictured holding the trophy

In a final played in blustery conditions at Royal Burgess, Baberton looked dead and buried against Ratho Park with only a few holes to play before digging deep to claim an unlikely victory.

Mark Riddell and Stephen Marshall sparked the comeback, securing a half after being four down with four to play against Robert Dobbie and Craig Cruickshank.

Similarly, Dougie Waugh and junior Jake Edgecombe came from two down with three to play to finish all square against Stuart Imrie and 13-year-old Ciaran Paterson.

It was still advantage Ratho Park, though, when Allan Bridges and Steven Sinclair beat Jim Downie and Ian Gourlay on the 17th green, but Baberton had two battlers at the tail. Dave Smith and Tom Cannon had been four down to Ross Boyle and Steve McLaren early on before fighting back to claim victory, which was sealed by superb 3-wood approach from Cannon at the 17th.

That meant a sudden-death play-off, with Baberton’s nominated pairing of Riddell and Waugh making a birdie at the first extra hole to clinch the Juniper Green club’s trophy triumph.

Musselburgh’s victory came on the same day in the East Lothian Winter League Stroke Play Championship.

Represented by Callum Burgess, Lindsay Shepherd, Stuart Wright jnr, Ian Fyfe, Jamie Wright and David Murray, the Monktonhall club posted a 226 aggregate to secure a three-shot success over Longniddry.

Meanwhile, a rescheduled date is being sought for the final round of matches in the Fife & Lothians GAs Winter League after being washed out at Bathgate last Sunday.