A men’s final featuring two teams ranked in the top 10 in the world lived up to expectations as defending champions Team Whyte were taken to an extra end before claiming their third successive men’s title at the Hardie Scottish Curling Championships in the Dumfries Ice Bowl.
Just hours after Fay Henderson had completed a similar achievement in the women’s event, fellow Dumfries local Ross Whyte was thrilled to join the select group of skips to have won three Scottish titles in a row after he and Robin Brydone and Euan Kyle claimed the trophy again, along with this season’s newcomer to their ranks Craig Waddell.
“We’re very, very pleased to have won our third title in a row and it means a lot to us,” said Whyte, following the victory over the team led by Waddell’s older brother Kyle. 
“When you are growing up you are desperate to become a Scottish Champion and to go out and do it three times is really special, so we are extremely pleased with how we have played this week.
“It felt like we had a great opportunity to win that final and finally it went our way in the end, but Team Waddell obviously played amazing as they always do and they were always going to make it a really tough battle.”
A repeat of the final and outcome of the last of this season’s Grand Slam of Curling events at the Players Championship in Canada in January, underlined the strength in depth that is now challenging reigning World Champions and world number one ranked Team Mouat as the teams grappled for the upper hand.
Starting without the hammer, Whyte’s men looked to be building some momentum in the first half of the match with the first two of the match at the fourth end, only for Waddell, who has had an exceptional season with his new line-up of Mark Watt, Angus Bryce and Blair Haswell, to regain the upper hand with twos at the fourth and sixth ends, either side of a force at the sixth.
Whyte then looked to have made a crucial error at the seventh when, needing only to put his last stone in the house to score a two that would have levelled the match, but steals at the next two ends edged them into 6-5 lead before Kyle Waddell narrowly failed with a hit and stick attempt for the two at the 10th end that would have secured the title.
That meant Whyte took the hammer (last stone advantage) down the last where his double take-out with that final delivery secured the 8-6 win. 
“That match was extremely close and it kind of flipped each way a couple of times and a big miss in seven from me really hurt to be honest,” said Whyte.
“We had played a great game and in end six we actually played a good end but the stones just didn’t sit quite right for us and then all of a sudden we lost two, which felt like we were hard done by.
“Then we missed that chance for a two with my poor draw, so we were very pleased that we could bounce back, then get back into the battle that we knew we were in for, so to come out with the win after all that felt amazing.”
With the decision having already been made that Team Mouat’s Olympians will not be going to this year’s World Championships, the result strengthened the case for Team Whyte, who are currently ranked fourth in the world to be selected for their first appearance at that level and they are champing at the bit for the opportunity.
“We are having a great 2026 so far and we would love to be selected to represent Scotland at the World Championships,” said their skip.
“It would mean the world to us to have Scotland on our backs again, which I have not done since I was fifth for Mouat and my guys haven’t done that for a long while now, probably since juniors, so it feels amazing to be in this position if we get selected so we will just wait for that positive phone call in the next couple of days.
“I think we have got ourselves to a place where we would have a good chance of winning a World Championships so it would be our first time at World Men’s and it would be a different experience this time around, but it would be incredible to go in as one of the top seeds and we would really love to get that chance.” 
After what has been a strange couple of months for their new second, who has claimed two of the greatest successes of his career playing in finals against the men skipped by his older brother and whom he had been due to play alongside this season, Whyte paid tribute to the contribution of Craig Waddell since he came in for injury victim Duncan McFadzean.
“Craig brought a really new dynamic to our team,” said Whyte.
“He’s very composed yet brings a lot of energy and he is clearly a great shot maker and I really appreciate what he brings to our team.
“It hasn’t been easy for him to slot in this season, but he has made it as seamless as possible and for us having such a tricky season and for him to understand how we gel as a team and with Duncan’s injury which was unexpected, he has done a great job,
“We know it is hard for him to play against his brother because those two are very very close and they are great friends as well as being brothers so they like to see each other doing well.
“Obviously when they are playing against each other it is a bit more difficult for the pair of them, but he really does bring his all to every single game and we are really pleased for him and is reaping the rewards of all of his hard work over the years and he certainly deserves it.”
On a personal basis, Whyte who, like all the players who are honing their skills at the National Curling Academy, is now based in the Stirling area, has meanwhile been enjoying spending time with those closest to him.
“I’ve been having a family catch up together while I am down here, which means the world to get that time together after this event and the boys are also doing that with friends and family too, so that’s a good way to finish our week down here,” he said.
Images: PPA
