GOLF NEWS SCOTTISH MEN’S OPEN

Ayrshire will be represented when the Scottish Men’s Open Championship gets under way this weekend at Southerness Golf Club.

The Championship is the first major international amateur event to be staged in Scotland since the outbreak of Covid and a healthy group of Ayrshire golfers are in the mix.

They include Jack Broun (Turnberry GC), Stuart Easton (Irvine GC), Ruben Lindsay (Ayr Belleisle GC), Robbie Muir (Kilmarnock Barassie) Alyx Murray and Sandy Buchanan (both Prestwick St Nicholas GC).

The event has been impacted by current travel restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic, meaning some players from farther afield are unable to travel to Dumfries to play.

“It is great to be back in action again after such a long hiatus, but the circumstances are certainly not ideal,” admitted Scottish Golf ’s Head of Events, Fraser Munro.

“My heart goes out to those competitors who have had to withdraw due to Covid restrictions and we hope to see them back on the fairway at a Scottish Golf event soon.”

The Scottish Men’s Open was first played in 1967 when former Ryder Cup player and Captain Bernard Gallacher lifted the trophy at Muirfield and has subsequently been won by an illustrious group of outstanding players including Gordon Brand Jnr (1980), Colin

Montgomerie (1985), Andrew Coltart (1991), Stephen Gallacher (1995), Ritchie Ramsay (2004), Tommy Fleetwood (2009) and Andy Sullivan (2011).

The competition is staged over four rounds of strokeplay with the field of 144 being cut to 40 and ties after two rounds and the last two rounds being played on the final day.

The lingering effects of the pandemic mean this year’s championship will be administered under strict safety guidelines.

The event tees off on Friday.