Scottish Open calls for tartan curtain-raiser at Gullane
GOLF fans in Scotland are being encouraged to wear tartan at Gullane Golf Club next week when the official Pro-am day at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open is designated ‘Tartan Wednesday’ ahead of the main event.
The world’s leading professionals, amateurs, celebrities, officials and spectators have been invited to enter into the spirit of the campaign which has the Twitter handle #Tartanwednesday and is designed to raise money for the tournament’s official charity, Mindroom.
The idea follows on from the success of ‘Tartan Tuesday’ at last year’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and the organisers hope it has the potential to build into an annual tradition.
All the proceeds of #Tartanwednesday will go towards the funds being raised on behalf of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open’s official charity, Mindroom, an independent Scottish charity that supports the families of children and young people with learning difficulties.
Already, a minimum of £8000 has been guaranteed from the professionals playing in the Proam, who have donated their £4000 appearance fees to the charitable initiative, while that sum has been fund-matched by title sponsor, Aberdeen Asset Management.
Meanwhile, prize money on this year’s European Tour has risen 18.5 per cent to record levels. Seven new tournaments plus increases in the payments at four others have boosted the financial rewards available from the 2015 Race to Dubai to ¤166 million (£117.6m), a rise of ¤26m (£18.4m).
“It is clear from these positive figures that the European Tour is currently on a very stable footing,” said the Tour’s chief executive officer and director of international policy Keith Waters. Our aim is to give all our members playing opportunities in events around the world, and our robust schedule gives them the chance to do just that.
“The seven new tournaments which have joined the European Tour International Schedule in 2015, together with significant prize fund increases for some of our established tournaments, have helped create a schedule which we believe is unparalleled in its strength, variety and diversity.”