East Alliance set for title decider at Gullane as Prestonfield win Winter League

Liberton’s Craig Surgeon is standing between Pumpherston player Davie Thomson and an Edinburgh & East of Scotland Golfers’ Alliance title double heading into the final event of the season.

Prestonfield's players show off the trophy after winning this seson's South East Edinburgh Winter League.

Thomson has already topped the Handicap Order of Merit, wrapping up that prize by 16.5 points from Prestonfield’s Andrew MacDonald following a rescheduled visit to Eyemouth for The Berwickshire Trophy.

But, after holding the lead for most of the campaign, he’s been leapfrogged by Surgeon in the scratch standings, with just a point separating the pair heading into the 36-hole championship over Gullane No 2 on Wednesday.

Ross Noon sits third but almost 100 points behind the leaders, followed by Graham Bell and Donny Munro in fourth and fifth respectively.

Duddingston's Craig Pirie won the scratch trophy in the South East Edinburgh Winter League stroke-play event at Liberton.

In a depleted field of 43 members, Falkirk Tryst amateur Danny Airens was the trophy winner at Eyemouth with a 69, pipping Dalmahoy’s Steven Lees in a card play-off by virtue of a better inward half.

Surgeon and Bell shared top spot in the scratch section, followed by Thomson on 71 and Richard Johnston (Glenbervie) on 72.

The main prize up for grabs in the championship is the Uniroyal Quaich, which was first played for in 1937 and was won last year by Bathgate’s Joe Bryce.

Meanwhile, Prestonfield and Duddingston were the two trophy winners in this season’s South East Edinburgh Winter League.

Prestonfield won the league after recording a fine away victory against Duddingston in the last game of the campaign while Duddingston players shone in the end-of-season stroke-play event at Liberton.

They won the aggregate team prize while Craig Pirie fired the best scratch score on the day with a 65.

In the junior events, Craigmillar Park were undefeated during the season and ended up as worthy league winners while Murray Welsh (Duddingston) and Ethan Robertson (Prestonfield) claimed the scratch and handicap spoils respectively at Liberton.

Merchants was the venue for the Lothians Junior Champion of Champions, which produced a keenly-contested encounter.

The title went to Bathgate’s James Wood, who carded a 66 to finish three shots ahead of last year’s winner, Sean Gallacher of Prestonfield, with Jamie Henshaw (Bruntsfield Links) a shot back in third.