Scottish Golf to host full 2021 schedule after season-long break due to Covid-19
Following a season-long hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Scottish Golf is to stage a full schedule of events in 2021.
The governing body has announced that national tournaments for “golfers of all ages and abilities” will be returning next year.
The domestic season tees off with the Scottish Boys’ and Girls’ Open Championships at Lund in and Long n id dry respectively on 7-9 April.
The Scottish Women’ s Amateur Championship takes place at Gullane on 4-6 June, with Murcar Links and Portlethen hosting the men’s equivalent on 27-31 July.
Southerness will be the venue for the Scottish Men’s Open on 28-30 May, with the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open being held at Troon on 16-18 April.
The Scottish Senior Men’s Open Championship will take place at Duff House Royal (1618 June) while Aberdour will host the Scottish Senior Women’s Open Championship (2225 June) as part of their 125thanniversary celebrations.
The Scottish Boys’ and Girls’ Amateur Championships are being held at Bruntsfield Links and Strathaven in July, with Kirkcaldy and Stirling completing the offering of elite events by hosting the Scottish Boys U 14 Open and Scottish Girls Open respectively in August.
In addition, the Scottish Medal Finals will make its debut as a combined event in 2021, with a grand final being held over The Duke’s Course in St Andrews on 15 August.
Milnathort will once again host the Scottish final in the free-to-enter R& A 9- Hole Challenge on 10 -11 June, with the top four teams going forward to a final at Royal St George’ s on the eve of The 149th Open Championship.
Also for club golfers, the PING Scottish Mixed Championship will be played at Gull a neon 17 September.
Fraser Munro, head of events at S cottish Golf, said: “2020 has been a hugely difficult year for everyone but we are looking forward to getting back out and engaging with clubs and golfers in the new year.
“Entries recently opened for our newly combined Scottish Medal Finals and we have been hugely encouraged by the level of response it has received.”
In 2021, full hole-by-hole live scoring will be available at all S cottish Golf events for the first time as players input their scores and sign off scorecards directly on their mobile devices using the Scottish Golf App.
The decision to scrap this year’ s schedule was made before the season star ted as Scottish Golf furloughed staff due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a bid to provide some playing opportunities for some of the country’ s best young players, the Stephen Gall ac her, Paul Lawrie and Barrie Douglas Foundations, as well as the Scottish Junior, ran events when restrictions permitted.
Meanwhile, Royal Dornoch is to host the Men’ s Home Internationals next April in a fixture change aimed at helping Great Britain & Ireland’s hopes of a Walker Cup win the following month.
The four- cornered event is normally held in August or September, but is being moved forward due to the Walker Cup taking place at Seminole in Florida in May. Being staged by the R&A for the first time, the Home Internationals will take place at the Sutherland venue on 14-16 April.