Royal Dornoch is providing support to a new domestic professional tour developed by former Open champion Paul Lawrie.
An open access developmental golf tour – the Tartan Pro Tour – is preparing to launch over the coming weeks as the easing of lockdown restrictions from COVID-19 continues.
The Scottish-based Tour will involve a series of six events taking place at some of the most prominent venues across The Home of Golf, being played between the beginning of August and late September.
The Royal Dornoch Masters, presented by Gym Rental Company, will take place over 7 and 8 September on the Championship Course.
Announcing the Tartan Pro Tour through his Five Star Sports Management & Events company, Lawrie, is excited at the prospect of professional golf events returning.
He said: “This period has been the strangest any of us have ever faced in our lifetimes and, as professional sportspeople, we are champing at the bit to get back competing. The Tartan Pro Tour has come about partly because Covid has obliterated our normal schedules. All of the professionals I’ve had contact with throughout these past 12 weeks have no certainty that they’ll get a chance to play again this season at all.
“I’ve been so impressed by the efforts of the European Tour to get the UK Swing of events to the stage it’s at, but for so many pros the remainder of the year looks unclear. For the players on the smaller circuits there is little or nothing to set their sights on, sadly.”
Tartan Pro Tour events will be played over 36 holes across two days at some of the best courses and venues in the country. They will be open to both male and female professionals, with maximum field sizes of 72 and are being supported by a number of sponsors.
Lawrie continued: “I want to personally thank everyone at Farmfoods, Gym Rental Company, Blue Group, Cloudcube, Paul Lawrie Golf Centre and The R&A, who are collectively our Official Tour Partners.
“A huge thanks also goes to the venues who have come on board to support Scottish golf professionals. They have all been so accommodating and helpful with making the dates work. The quality of these courses is incredible, and it will be a real pleasure for us to get competitive golf at each of them.”
The Tartan Pro Tour will provide an exciting platform for players at various stages of their careers, who normally compete at different levels, to come together to play for prize money, whilst preparing them for whatever lies ahead in the second half of 2020. With Challenge Tour invitations also on the table for the highest-placed on the Order of Merit and further incentives, yet to be announced, it promises to be an action-packed series.
The Tartan Pro Tour will be open to any professional golfer, male or female, with 100% of entry fees going into the prize funds which will be enhanced by corporate partners. The Tour begins at the scene of Lawrie’s greatest triumph (the 1999 Open) in Carnoustie on 5 and 6 of August where all health & safety precautions and measures will be taken to ensure the safety of the players and everyone involved, as with every Tartan Pro Tour event.
TARTAN PRO TOUR SCHEDULE 2020
The Carnoustie Challenge – 5 & 6 August 2020 (Carnoustie Championship Course)
Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Par 3 Championship presented by Farmfoods – 8 & 9 August 2020 (PLGC Devenick Course)
Royal Dornoch Masters presented by Gym Rental Company – 7 & 8 September 2020 (Championship Course)
The Pollok Open presented by Blue Group – 10 & 11 September 2020 (Pollok Golf Club)
St Andrews Classic presented by Cloudcube – 15 & 16 September 2020 (Jubilee & New Courses)
Rowallan Castle Championship – 23 & 24 September 2020
Contact: Michael MacDougall – michael@paullawriegolf.com for more information about the Tartan Pro Tour.