City lockdown likely to disrupt Lawrie’s inaugural Tour

Paul Lawrie’s inaugural Tartan Pro Tour looks set to be disrupted in its opening week with the Scottish Par 3 Championship this weekend unlikely to go ahead.

Aberdeen’s renewed sevenday lockdown due to Covid-19 means the second tour event, the Scottish Par 3 Championship at Lawrie’s Golf Centre, is unlikely to be staged this weekend.

The disappointed former Open champion said: “Sadly, the second event at the weekend is definitely a problem. I can’t see it happening now, but we’ll wait and see what the story is, it certainly doesn’t sound so good back home.

“I don’t get why people can’t just behave? If everyone did the right thing we wouldn’t have a problem but now we have a problem again.”

Lawrie and his team had to make a stop for underwear due to the lockdown in Aberdeen, but the former Open champion’s first day as a tour commissioner went pretty well otherwise.

The Tartan Pro Tour, his concept to give playing opportunities for Scottish professionals of both sexes and all levels, launched on a gloriously-turned out Carnoustie Championship links yesterday and went off without a hitch, a credit to the team who “had worked so long and hard” on the project.

With no caddies and no spectators other than a few dogwalkers and a couple of disruptive media men who made Lawrie back off a putt on an empty course it was near perfect.

He said: “We’re going to stay because we might not get back for tomorrow if we go home now… we’ll have to go and buy some underwear at Tesco.”

Lawrie, who shot a level par 72, including a few classic pieces of his trademark short game to save pars at 15, 16 and 18, said: “I was quite nervous waiting for it all to kick off and make sure we got it all done on time... and signed up.”

For his own play, Lawrie was: “not too disappointed with level par on a tough course like that. For me, it’s always the same these days, I’m good for eight holes or so but the back’s horrendous on the back nine.”

Players logged their own scores through a phone app and then electronically “signed” their scorecards, minimising all contact, while sponsors provided hygiene stations at tees.

Stonehaven’s Sam Locke, Silver Medal winner for top amateur finisher at the Open at Carnoustie two years ago, set the early pace with a four-under 68.