Golf: Form is temporary – class is permanent

ROYAL Burgess bounced back in style from their first defeat in three years to overcome a tricky trip to Merchants in the latest round of matches in the Pollock (Scotrans) Ltd Edinburgh Summer League.

The Barnton men won 5-3 to get their bid for a fifth successive title triumph back on track after a rare recent disappointment in the event at Musselburgh the previous week.

“Merchants is never an easy place to go and get a result, so I was delighted with the response from our players,” said Burgess team manager Richard Hughes.

James Ross, back home for the summer from Houston, gave the visitors the best possible start in beating Richard Craig in the top match.

David Montgomery levelled the match with a comfortable win over an out-of-sorts Stephen Buckley before Ian Taylor and Brian Tait both had to settle for half points despite being dormie one up and two up on Andrew Helm and Craig Terry respectively.

John Fraser then showed all his experience in squeezing out Mike Leitch by one hole to give Burgess an edge, though the major turnaround came in match six.

Varun Varadharajan found himself four down after four holes to Adam George but birdies at the fifth, sixth and seventh, coupled with a par at the ninth, squared the match by the turn. George then birdied the tenth to go back in front but Varadharajan kept his nerve and won three of the next seven holes to shake hands on the 17th, by which time he was two-under for the holes played.

Fraser McCluskey secured the victory with a 2 and 1 success over Paul Francis before the home team got their third point of the night as Ian Woolard defeated Gordon Archibald by the same margin.

Royal Burgess now have a break until June 26, when they play Turnhouse at home.

In Section D, Prestonfield and Liberton both went into their clash with 100 per cent records – the home side having lost three out of three with the complete opposite being the case for the visitors.