Florida trip helps Rob Paterson shine in East Alliance Championship at Gullane

Kilspindie trainee professional delighted to get his hands on The UniRoyal Trophy

Kilspinde trainee professional Rob Paterson, left, is presented with The UniRoyal Trophy by Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance secretary Alan Greenshields after his win at Gullane. Picture: East Alliance

Kilspindie trainee professional Rob Paterson enjoyed an instant return for a week playing golf in the Florida sun as he won the Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance Championship at Gullane.

In conditions that were much different to those he’d encountered in the Sunshine State, the 27-year-old Edinburgh man carded a two-under-par 69 on the No 2 course at the East Lothian venue.

That was matched by Ciaran Paterson, a fellow trainee professional at Ratho Park, but, thanks to a better score over the last six holes, it was Paterson who picked up The UniRoyal Trophy.

“It was absolutely chucking it down for the first nine holes and then it was quite nice after that, so we definitely had the best of the day later on,” said the new champion.

“I actually played better when it was raining. I was two under for the first eight holes in the worst of the weather and then had three birdies and three bogeys after that. I wouldn’t say any of my birdies were noteworthy, but I birdied 16 and 18, which was quite a good finish.”

The great Ronnie Shade won this title three years in a row from 1969-1971 while other past champions include David Huish, Andrew Oldcorn, Colin Brooks, Raymond Russell and Lloyd Saltman.

“I just got a picture with the trophy but I’ve not had a chance to look at the names on it yet,” said Paterson, who is close to becoming a fully-qualified PGA professional. “But I know it’s been played since 1937, so there’s a lot of history.”

Paterson’s trip to the States was part of his prize for winning last year’s Golfbreaks Get Back to Golf Tour final at Dumbarnie Links.

“It certainly wasn’t shorts and t-shirt weather today,” he said, laughing. “But some warm weather training has paid off already. We were in Orlando for a week and played seven rounds of golf and it was amazing. My two successes have both come in season finales, but I’d say this is probably the biggest win of my career.”

Though also a member at Mortonhall at the time, Paterson played most of his golf as an amateur at Kilspindie, winning the club championship a couple of times. “I beat Bob Humble in the final in 2017, I think,” he recalled. “He’s a club legend and still plays on a Wednesday morning and always asks how I am getting on.”

While he’ll soon have a new boss as long-serving Graham Sked prepares to retire, Paterson is hoping he’ll be able to use this success as a springboard for bigger and better things in 2024 on the competition front. “I’ll play all the Tartan Tour stuff and hopefully some of the Paul Lawrie Tartan Pro Tour stuff as well,” he said. I’ll just need to wait and see how it goes as it’s all change at Kilspindie right now.”

On a day when many others were closed due to the weather, 2023 winner Ross Noon (Musselburgh Old) put up a great defence of his title as he finished third on 70, one better than Bathgate’s Graham Bell with Davie Thomson (Pumpherston) next on 73. Noon’s effort secured victory for him in the season-long Scratch Order of Merit, finishing ahead of Newbattle’s Craig Surgeon then Bell and Thomson.

In the handicap competition on the day, Longniddry’s Iain Wilson won the Gavin Clark Trophy with a net 71 while the George Wither Trophy for top senior went to host club member Ian Dickson with a net 73.