Two father-and-son pairings add a family flavour to the Dispatch Trophy at the Braids, while holders Hailes and veteran players prepare for the revised draw
The 126th edition of the Edinburgh Evening News Dispatch Trophy arrives at the Braid Hills Golf Centre with a distinctly family-focused twist. For the opening day at the Braids, two well-known club stalwarts will pair up with their teenage sons as part of the defending club setups, creating a mix of experience and youthful energy across the contest.
The tournament, organised by Edinburgh Leisure and supported by the Braid Hills Golf Centre, remains one of the region’s longest-running foursomes competitions and continues to attract local clubs keen to add their names to a storied roll of honour.
Among the new pairings, Brian Byars and Donny Munro have both opted to field father-and-son combinations for the team representing three-time winners Harrison. Byars will play alongside his 16-year-old son Aidan, the junior champion at Broomieknowe, while Munro — the current club captain and Harrison champion — teams up with his 16-year-old son Elliot.
Elsewhere, last year’s successful Hailes partnership involving Steve McCulloch and his son Nathan will be reshuffled for day one, with Fraser Sutherland drafted in because Nathan is unavailable.
Family pairings and what they bring
The decision to field father-and-son duos highlights the social and developmental side of the Dispatch Trophy. For many competitors the event is as much about club camaraderie as it is about silverware. Byars, who serves as vice-captain and who earned a medal in 2026, said the opportunity to play alongside Aidan is a milestone in both their golfing lives. Aidan, now preparing for a PGA pathway, will be exposed to the strategic partnership play that defines this format — notably the foursomes, an approach where two teammates alternate shots and must rely on mutual trust and course management.
Byars and Aidan: a learning curve
Byars described the pairing as a chance to pass on course knowledge and tournament temperament. The father brings a wealth of local experience, while Aidan contributes youthful pace and recent competitive form as Broomieknowe’s junior champion. Together they represent the blend of tradition and talent that often produces memorable performances in this event, with emphasis on steady play and effective communication under match pressure.
Munro and Elliot: leading Harrison
Munro’s decision to play with Elliot underscores a captain’s confidence in family continuity. As reigning club captain and an active figure within the Harrison setup, Munro will look to guide his son through the tactical nuances of a trophy challenge that rewards teamwork as much as individual shots. Elliot has vowed to give his best for Harrison, and the pairing will face the delicate task of balancing club expectations with the emotional weight of a father-son partnership.
Holders, withdrawals and other contenders
The defending holders, Hailes, enter the event with some schedule quirks. With two-time winners Duddingston withdrawing from the first round, Hailes benefit from a first-round bye and will commence their defence against Watsonians in the next stage. Hailes’ match-day lineup includes Steve McCulloch, Paul Page and Danny Crolla along with substitute Fraser Sutherland, preserving much of the winning core from last year. The tournament has also seen other withdrawals affect the draw; Hailes B’s absence, partly attributed to the Scottish Premiership’s final-day showdown between Hearts and Celtic, has given Murrayfield passage to the second round without playing.
Murrayfield’s team manager, Stevie Anderson, stressed the club’s determination to challenge for the trophy again. The side retains familiar names, notably Cameron Whyte — who first struck the opening shot for Murrayfield in 2017 — and Bobby Gibson. They will be supported by Stuart Thurlow and debutant junior champion Harrison Shaw, a mix that aims to marry experience with fresh enthusiasm in pursuit of the title.
Veterans, substitutions and the revised draw
One of the tournament’s most notable storylines is the return of Allyn Dick, the competition’s most-decorated player with seven gold medals, who will this year represent Carrickvale after three editions with Duddingston. Dick reflected on his time with Duddingston and confirmed his new team will include Paul Cunningham, Ross Colquhoun and Gregor Maiden. He also highlighted how the Braids’ conditions — often fast and firm — influence the unique strategy required in foursomes play, where course knowledge and shot selection are paramount.
The draw has been tweaked: Braids United were replaced in the bracket by BBT, who will face Bass Rock in round two. Below is the revised schedule for first and second rounds, showing tee times and match-ups for the opening stages.
First round
7am Haddington v Donuts@The 9th (Newbattle)
7.30am Caermount v Turnhouse
8.00am Mortonhall v Kilgour Wealth Management
8.15am Heriot’s FP v Edinburgh Thistle
Second round
8.30am Dalmahoy v Harrison
8.45am Riccarton v Kilspindie
9.00am Edinburgh Western v Colinton Mains
9.15am Thistle 1870 v Silverknowes B
9.30am Harrison B v Silverknowes
9.45am Riccarton A v Clark Technical Consultancy
10.00am MCBA v Swanston
10.15am Merchants of Edinburgh v Carrickvale
10.30am Edinburgh Leisure v Musselburgh Old
10.45am Bass Rock v BBT
11.00am Lochend v Stewart’s Melville FP
11.15am Heriot’s Quad v Buckstone
11.30am Haddington or Donuts@19th v Murrayfield or Hailes B
11.45am Caermount or Turnhouse v Kilgour Property Management
Noon Hailes v Watsonians
12.15pm Mortonhall or Kilgour Wealth Management v Heriot’s FP or Edinburgh Thistle
As the event unfolds at the Braids, clubs will need to combine tactical nous, local course knowledge and the kind of seamless partnership that foursomes demand. The family pairings add an emotional edge to what is already a fiercely contested local championship, and several teams — from the holders to seasoned veterans like Dick — will be eager to etch their names into the tournament’s long history.
