Dispatch Trophy Draw: Holders Heriot's handed tough opening match

George Heriot's FP, the holders, face a tough start to their Edinburgh Evening News Dispatch Trophy title defence after being drawn against one of the Braids clubs.

The draw for the Dispatch Trophy golf tournament is made by (left to right) Paul Gibson (Lothians President), Ken Harvey (Edinburgh Leisure) and George Ackroyd (golfclubsforcash). Pic: Greg Macvean

Harrison, three-time winners, will be their opponents in the first round of the event’s 119th staging, which gets underway on Saturday week.

That mouth-watering match will be one of 21 ties on the opening day of the historic tournament, which is being held for the third year in association with Edinburgh Leisure and with Loanhead-based Golfclubs4cash as the title sponsor.

Represented by John Archibald, Rory Smith, David Campbell and Willem Kerr, George Heriot’s FP beat Silverknowes at the first extra hole to claim the coveted prize 12 months ago for the first time since 1979 - but there will be no repeat of that final this time around.

The two teams are in the same half of the draw this year with a quarter-final meeting on the cards if they are both still standing at that stage.

Silverknowes, five-time winners in the last 20 years, face Swanston in their opening test, with the winners then meeting either Edinburgh Thistle or Hailes C.

Third-round opponents for Silverknowes could be Carrickvale, the event’s most successful side in recent times with five triumphs since 2007.

Carrickvale take on Harrison Generations in the last of 21 first-round ties, with either newcomers Johnston Carmichael Wealth or Edinburgh Leisure awaiting the winners 24 hours later.

Other teams in the bottom half of the draw include the two representing the Lothians Golf Association for the first time. The juniors take on Heriot’s Quad while the seniors, with president Paul Gibson set to be part of that quartet, facing the Glen.

Kingsfield, another new addition to the line-up, which is up by seven from last year to 53, are also in that segment of the draw against a Murrayfield side that made it to the fourth round in their first appearance 12 months ago.

They will be on the tee straight after another tasty clash between Stewart’s Melville and Dunbar, with Mortonhall facing the winners after they were among 11 teams to receive byes into the second round.

Watsonians, quarter-finalists last year, look set to be involved in one of the best ties on day one in the top half of the draw as they are up against what is sure to be a strong Gullane team. Having completed another league and cup double in the East Lothian Winter League, Gullane will have their sights set on improving on getting to the third round last year, when they lost to Silverknowes.

The honour of hitting the opening blow in this year’s event will go to the Stephen Gallacher Foundation, having been the first name out of the hat against Cramond.

Other early ties include an all-East Lothian affair involving Dunbar Castle and Kilspindie while the strongest of two Tantallon teams is up against former winners RICS.

Turnhouse, the newly-crowned Lothians Team Tournament winners, enter the fray in the second round aganst Hailes B, with Merchants and British Rugby Club of Paris also facing Sunday starts.

Full draw:

First round, Saturday, 19 May: 7am Stephen Gallacher Foundation v Cramond; 7.15 Tantallon 1 v RICS; 7.30 Scottish Universities v Lochend; 7.45 Caermount v Kilgour Private Clients; 8.00 Dunbar Castle v Kilspindie; 8.15 Silverknowes 50+ v Silverknowes Generations; 8.30 Prestonfield v BBT; 8.45 Liberton v Harrison B; 9.00 Royal Bank of Scotland v Braids United; 9.15 Watsonians v Gullane; 9.30 Stewart’s Melville v Dunbar; 9.45 Kingsfield v Murrayfield; 10.00 Munro Heating v Mount Vernon; 10.15 LGA Juniors v Heriot’s Quad; 10.30 Harrison v George Heriot’s FP; 10.45 LGA Seniors v The Glen; 11.00 Hailes A v Broomieknowe; 11.15 Edinburgh Thistle v Hailes C; 11.30 Swanston v Silverknowes; 11.45 Johnston Carmichael Wealth v Edinburgh Leisure; 12.00 Harrison Generations v Carrickvale.

Second round, Sunday, 20 May 8.15am Kilgour Wealth Management v British Rugby Club of Paris; 8.30 Tantallon 2 v Merchants; 8.45 Colinton Mains v Bank of Scotland Edinburgh; 9.15 Hailes B v Turnhouse; 9.30 Ye Monks of Ye Braids v Edinburgh Western; 9.45 Mortonhall v Stewart’s Melville or Dunbar.