Andrew Oldcorn records Winterfield win after Joe Bryce double in East Alliance

Andrew Oldcorn won the latest event at Winterfield as Ross Noon and Danny Airens continued to hold the top spots in this season’s Edinburgh & East Alliance Order of Merit tables.

Three-time DP World Tour winner Oldcorn landed his victory at the Dunbar venue with a one-under-par 64, pipping both Neil Henderson (The Renaissance Club) and Rob Paterson (Kilspindie) by a shot as he got his hands on the Berwickshire Trophy.

Helped by a hole-in-one - the first on this season’s circuit - at the 11th, Glenbervie’s Richard Johnston finished joint-fourth alongside Fraser Johnston (North Berwick) on 67.

On a day when members enjoyed a welcome gap in the weather, Longnidrry one-handicapper Iain Wilson landed the handicap honours with a net 66, beating four players by a shot.

Top trainee on 70 was Bathgate trainee pro Joe Bryce while there was a three-way split on 69 for the senior spoils between Derek Brown (Braids United), Davy Eardley (Cardrona) and Neil McGarva (Kilmacolm).

In the first event of 2024, a rescheduled staging of the John Glen Trophy at Gullane produced a victory for Bryce, who then also came out on top in the Professional’s Trophy at the Glen.

On the No 3 Course at Gullane, Bryce turned on the style by carding a seven-under-par 60 (31-29), winning by two shots from Noon (The Renaissance Club), with Bathgate amateur Graham Bell a further shot back in third.

The aforementioned Brown and Innes Christie (Mortonhall) shared top handicap spot with 62s while the senior prize went to Glenbervie’s Alex Bell with his 66.

Lewis Hannah (Gullane) and Ciaran Paterson (Ratho Park) were top trainees on 68.

At the Glen, where a break in high winds allowed a healthy field of 90 members to tee up, Bryce made it two wins in a row with a solid two-under 68. He won by two shots again, with Paterson his closest challenger on this occasion and finished as the top trainee in the process.

Falkirk Tryst man Airens and Steven Lees (Dalmahoy) shared the handicap honours in that event on 69 while it was four-way senior tie on 74 involving McGarva, Ian Ross (Prestonfield),Mike Veitch (Longniddry) and Robert Peebles (Greenburn).

Heading into the next event at Craigielaw on 21 February, Noon, last year’s Alliance champion, leads the scratch Order of Merit with 457.5 points, followed by Craig Surgeon (431) and Bell (424.5).

Airens, meanwhile, tops the handicap standings on 139.5, with Lees (98.5) leading the chase and McGarva (89), Surgeon (79) and Eardley (78.5) also in the hunt.