Golf: Lothians side dig deep for hat-trick joy

Represented by Anthony Blaney, Calum Hill, Murray Naismith and Alexander Wilson at Cowglen in Glasgow, they became the first team to win the Dunfermline Building Society-sponsored event three years in a row.

Lothians claimed an 11th success overall with an aggregate of 346, finishing five shots ahead of runners-up Glasgow with Dunbartonshire two shots further back in third.

“While all our wins in this event have been enjoyable, this has to be the sweetest due to the fact we’ve become the first side to lift the title three years in a row,” said Lothians junior convenor Paul Gibson.

In the morning foursomes, Blaney and Naismith, a debutant on his 15th birthday, joined forces to card a 68, two less than Wilson and Hill.

Gibson thought those two excellent efforts might have earned the team a four or five-shot cushion but, instead, they only led by one from Dunbartonshire with Fife a further shot back.

In the singles, the standard of the golf produced by the Lothians quartet was reflected by the fact a two-over 72 from Liberton lad Blaney was their non-counting score.

Wilson (The Renaissance Club) came in with a 71, Dalmahoy’s Naismith added a 70 then Hill from Tantallon took pride of place with a three-under-par 67.

“It was the second year in a row that Calum was our talisman,” added Hill, who praised former European Tour winner Dean Robertson for the role he played in helping the team prepare for the event and also his own right-hand man, John Allan.

He was also full of admiration for young Naismith, saying of him: “Today was a day when he turned from being a boy into a man.”

Meanwhile, Edinburgh’s Andrew Oldcorn put up a brave defence of his title in the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship at Slaley Hall.

After dropping two early shots in the final round, he recovered well to card a closing two-under-par 70, finishing in joint second place on 211, a stroke behind Englishman Paul Wesselingh.

“It was a very good defence all in all,” said Oldcorn.