Andy Fairbairn creates history as Duddingston win Inter Cities Cup

Fifteen years after claiming the trophy in just its second staging, Duddingston triumphed 6.5-2.5 on this occasion at neutral venue Hilton Park. However, it was much closer than the scoreline suggests, with two matches finishing on the 17th green and six games going the full distance. “This has rounded off a fantastic season for the team who deserve great credit for all their hard work and determination,” said Duddingston match secretary and team manager Gordon Milligan. “We have a great squad of boys who are proud to represent Duddingston GC. Including the Inter Club matches this season, we played 18 and only lost two, both very narrowly.” Fairbairn, the Duddingston champion, created history in the event by becoming the first player to win the trophy representing both teams from the east and west. He’d been part of Cawder’s dominant spell before becoming a key man for the capital club this season in the Edinburgh Summer League and also playing his part in this triumph. Out in the opening match against Glasgow champion Neil MacRae, Fairbairn recovered from being down on the front nine to secure a half point. That, coupled with a 3&1 win for David Miller, who made birdies on the back nine, over Daniel Forbes in the second game, provided the foundation for Duddingston’s win. “Early on it looked if we would take nothing from the first two matches and it was a great boost to win 1.5 points from them,” admitted Milligan. Helped by an important birdie at the 16th, Ryan Buckley then beat Gary Murphy by one hole before Shaun Gordon made a great up and down on the par-3 17th against John Laurie to secure Duddy’s third full point. Mike Armstrong, described by Milligan as “a great servant to the team over many years”, also came on top in a tight tussle, holing a five-footer on the last against Craig Telfer, Glasgow's MVP and undefeated this year. The win was secured when Davie Downing halved his match, as did Craig Pirie against former Scottish international Steven Carmichael in the bottom match. In between those tussles, Ben Alexander, fresh from winning The Renaissance Club championship for a fourth time, became the third Duddy player to claim a point on the last green. “Following our dramatic semi final and final matches where it went down to the wire, “ said Milligan of the Edinburgh Summer League, “it was nice to be able to enjoy the last few matches stress free. “It was nice to have Jack Ross and Hinton Bootland in attendance as they were captain and match secretary the last time the club featured in the Inter Cities Cup.” Match details (Glasgow GC names first): Neil MacRae halved with Andy Fairbairn; Daniel Forbes lost to David Miller 3&1; Gary Murphy lost to Ryan Buckley one hole; John Laurie lost to Shaun Gordon 2&1; Greg Telfer lost to Mike Armstong one hole; Callum McAteer halved with Dave Downing; Brian Gray beat Derrick Williams 5&4; Lewis Cullen lost to Ben Alexander one hole; Steven Carmichael halved with Criag Pirie. A message from the Editor: Get a year of unlimited access to all of The Scotsman's sport coverage without the need for a full subscription. Expert analysis, exclusive interviews, live blogs, and 70 per cent fewer ads on Scotsman.com - all for less than £1 a week. Subscribe to us today https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions