Young pros and amateurs up for Challenge

Young PGA professionals and leading amateurs attached to all 10 clubs on the R&A’s rota for the Open are being invited to join assistant professionals from the Tartan Tour Order of Merit and some elite Scottish amateur players in a new event at Carnoustie next month.

Around 60 players will tee up in the Carnoustie Challenge, which is being staged in the build up to this year’s Open Championship at the Angus venue.

This mixed gender event was the brainchild of Carnoustie’s PGA head professional Colin Sinclair, and marks the fact that Carnoustie is one of the few courses to have hosted both the Open and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

“One of Carnoustie Golf Links key objectives is promoting participation in golf,” said Sinclair.

“We feel the Challenge will provide young leading golfers the exciting opportunity of playing in tournament conditions on the Open Championship golf course.

“This will allow the competitors to gauge where their game is at but at the same time hopefully creating great memories.”

Males will play from the tees being used for this year’s Open Championship, while females will play from the tees used at the Ricoh Women’s British Open in 2011.

To be played over 18 holes on April 18 and carrying a £3,000 prize fund, the event is being sponsored by Johnstons of Elgin, with hickory putter trophies being presented to both male and female winners.