ROYAL BURGESS, the defending champions, secured the last semi-final spot in this season's Edinburgh Summer League but they were certainly made to work for their home victory over a gutsy Glencorse side.
"Glencorse put up an excellent display and the 6½-2½ result really does flatter us as there were several tight matches that could have gone either way," said Royal Burgess team manager Richard Hughes.
In what was always going to be a tough task fo
r the visitors, Keith Young gave them a flying start with a 4 and 3 win over Stephen Buckley, who, after being four down through six holes, then had three birdies in the next four to get back within striking range of his opponent.
However, the former Scottish Boys' champion made a hash of the next three holes to go four down again before Young, one of the most experienced campaigners in the Lothians, closed out the match with halves at the 14th and 15th.
John Yuille hit back for the Barnton side with a 4 and 3 win over Sean McGarvey – the home player was three-under through 12 holes in taking that match by the scruff of the neck – before James Ross signed off his campaign in style. In his last match before heading off to Michigan State, he was two up after four against Ian Shanks and then produced some stunning golf, bagging birdies at six of the next seven holes to seal a 7 and 6 win.
His tee shot at the short eighth lipped out for an ace and he closed out the match with another great shot at the 12th, where his approach finished less than a foot from the hole. Glencorse, though, were determined to put up a fight after working hard to reach the knock-out phase and two great performances from Derrick Thomson and Iain Melville kept the match in the melting pot.
In a game that was close throughout, Thomson beat Sandy Gray, who three-putted the last, by one hole, while Melville came back from three down at the turn to share the spoils with Grant Hill.
Hill lost his ball at the tenth off what looked like a great drive, Melville then won 11th and 13th to square the match and then edged in front with a birdie at the 14th.
Hill won the 15th, undid that good work with a bad drive at the next before again squaring the match with par at the 17th. Both players went for the green on the short par-4 18th – Hill's tee shot finding it about 20 feet from the hole whilst Melville's tee shot was pulled left. He pitched on to 12 feet and, after Hill's eagle putt sat on the edge, bravely holed for a deserved half.
One of the factors that saw Royal Burgess lift the title last year was a strength in depth and, 12 months on, that's still something that Hughes has at his disposal, as evidenced by a final four of John Fraser, Ian Taylor, Fraser McCluskey and Grant Pollock in this match.
Fraser was two up early on and, despite playing some great golf, could not shake off Colin Deans who narrowed the gap with a birdie at 12. However, Fraser won the next three holes, finishing the match off with a fantastic birdie at 15th, the home player covering the holes played in three-under.
In a ding-dong battle between two experienced campaigners, Taylor was always in front against Neil Shillinglaw but was still only one up with two to play. However, a solid par-4 at the 17th won another point for the Burgess.
McCluskey was also involved in a tight tussle with Justin Lamb but the home man hit his tee shot at the last to 20 feet, setting up a birdie that won the match.
Pollock, meanwhile, was four up at the turn but Alastair Shanks chipped away to be only one down with two to play. But a magnificent approach from Pollock to the 17th secured the match and the final point for the Barnton boys, who will now face Dalmahoy in a tasty semi-final tie.
"We are without James Ross for that match, which is sad," added Hughes. "But we all wish him the very best for his time in the US and thank him for the outstanding contribution he has made to the Royal Burgess team over the last couple of seasons."
Kingsknowe face Swanston New in the other semi-final, with both matches taking place at Lothianburn on August 23.
