Steve and Nathan McCulloch join forces to book semi-final spot for Kingsknowe club

Ten years after helping Hailes win the Dispatch Trophy, Steve McCulloch is bidding to repeat the feat - and this time playing alongside his son Nathan.

The Kingsknowe club progressed to the semi-finals in the 125th edition with a 6&5 win over Kilgour Wealth Management at the Braids.

“I’m feeling old compared to these young guys,” quipped 59-year-old McCulloch snr of this year’s Edinburgh Leisure-run tournament having involved a new era of players.

“I love it up here, the course is immaculate, the golf pretty steady - and it is a joy to play with Nathan!”

Team McCulloch finished two up at the front against Sean Marc and Jamie McIntosh while Paul Page and Danny Crolla won four up at the rear over James Keggie and Owen Melrose.

“The seventh was a crucial moment as we’d just chucked away the sixth and I drove the green at the seventh,” reported 25-year-old McCulloch jnr, who has now made the last four in his two appearances in the tournament.

This is the furthest 32-year-old Crolla has progressed while Page is back in the medals at the age of 56.

“The Dispatch has always been a great event to be involved in,” said Page, the current Hailes champion. “I only stopped playing in it to let some of the youngsters get to experience it, but I am glad that an opportunity came calling for me this year.”

Awaiting Hailes in the semi-finals on Saturday morning are Heriot’s FP, who came out on top when the teams met in the last eight in the 2024 edition.

In a tight encounter, Heriot’s FP edged past the Stephen Gallacher Foundation by one hole, meaning the youngest team in this year’s event came up just short in the medal hunt.

“That’s us used one of our lives,” declared Stuart Langlands as a shot from his playing partner Scott Dickson, having had to take a penalty drop, crept over the gorse on the green at the seventh.

It led to the top Heriot’s pairing securing an unlikely half in bogeys there before then winning two of the next three holes against Rory McClafferty and Jake Johnston as that eventually finished all square.

At the back, Lothians champion Sam Hall and Steven Sinclair, who came in for the watching Fraser Smith, got off to a “hot start” but then had to dig deep to finish one up on Alexander Yuill and Callum Kenneally.

“We’re looking forward to Saturday,” said Dickson. “We’ve been in the semi-finals as well the last two years and hopefully we can finally get a gold medal after picking up a silver and bronze.”

Six-time winners Silverknowes won the 18th in both matches to finish two up on Edinburgh Academicals.

Hugo Rintoul chipped in for an eagle-3 at the sixth in the back match for Accies, with Graham Robertson holing out for a 2 at the par-4 seventh from 108 yards for Silverknowes at the front minutes afterwards.

It won’t be a repeat of last year’s final in the next round for Silverknowes, though, as Duddingston, the winners for the last two years, were knocked out by Murrayfield.

“I’m really happy for the boys,” said Murrayfield team manager Stevie Anderson of young guns Harry Hawthorne (19), Archie Wyatt (21), Stuart Thurlow (26) and Cameron Whyte (28).

Third-round results

Kilgour Wealth Management (Sean Marc and Jamie McIntosh 0; James Keggie and Owen Melrose 0); Hailes (Nathan McCulloch and Steve McCulloch 2; Paul Page and Danny Crolla 4).

Hailes won 6&5

Heriot’s FP (Stuart Langlands and Scott Dickson 0; Sam Hall and Steven Sinclair 1); Stephen Gallacher Foundation (Rory McClafferty and Jake Johnston 0; Alexander Yuill and Callum Kenneally 0).

Heriot’s FP won by one hole

Edinburgh Academical (Nic Peoples and Angus Rintoul 4; Hugo Rintoul and Fraser Simpson 0); Silverknowes (Keith Reilly and Graham Robertson 0; Chris Milligan and Connor McWatt 6).

Silverknowes won by two holes

Murrayfield (Archie Wyatt and Harry Hawthorne 3; Cameron White and Stuart Thurlow 0); Duddingston (Jamie Duguid and Allyn Dick 0; Gary Thomson and Craig Pirie 0).

Murrayfield won 3&2