Delighted to be at Downfield

THE Scottish PGA Championship, the oldest professional-only golf event, returns to Dundee’s Downfield course for the first time in 22 years. It will go ahead from September 3-6.

The flagship event for Scotland’s club pros on the PGA Scotland schedule has been a fixture at Gleneagles on the King’s, Queen’s and PGA Centenary Courses over the past two decades.

However, it is moving to the parkland Downfield venue in the north-west of Dundee.

Downfield has staged the Scottish championship once before, in 1997, when Gordon Law (Uphall) won the title.

Shona Malcolm, the PGA’s regional manager for Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be taking the Scottish PGA Championship back to Downfield.

“The course is a great test, having hosted many top-class events.

“Arrangements for the championship are well advanced and the club’s members and officials have made us welcome.

“Gleneagles has been a fantastic host venue and we’re grateful for the longstanding support and friendship we’ve received from them.

“We look forward to working with Gleneagles again in the future.”

The national title, won for the third time by Greig Hutcheon last October, will be the penultimate event in this year’s Order of Merit.

EVEN being caught in a hailstorm failed to wipe the smile from the face of Tommy Fleetwood (right) as he enjoyed his first experience of Pebble Beach. However, the Ryder Cup star admits there is a serious side to his debut in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Pebble Beach is one of three courses, along with Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula, used to stage the PGA Tour event but, in June, it will also host the US Open, nine years after Graeme McDowell’s famous victory.

That has made Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick to make their debuts.

Fleetwood said: “I’ve been playing in hail stones and I’m still smiling. It’s one of those few places that has an aura about it and I feel lucky to be playing golf here this week.”