Golf:After 15 years at Loch Lomond, this year's Scottish Open moves to Castle Stuart in the Highlands, ensuring the game's leading players get to compete over a links layout the week before the British Open at Royal St George's.
Castle Stuart has come to prominence in a relatively short period since opening in the summer of 2009 and was quickly voted “Best New Course 2009” by Golf Magazine USA.
Co-designed by the venue’s managing partner, Mark Parsinen, and American golf course architect, Gil Hanse, Castle Stuart is situated between Inverness and Nairn on the Moray Firth.
Given the tournament’s key date on the European schedule - one week before the Open at Royal St George’s in Kent, England - the move to a links is a welcome one , particularly from some of the game’s leading players.
“I will always have wonderful memories of my victory in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond in 2008. However, I am delighted at the prospect of playing two classic links courses in consecutive weeks this year,” explained former champion Graeme McDowell.
“As a native of Portrush, I grew up with links golf and I’ve heard some great reports about Castle Stuart and am really looking forward to playing the course.”
Pádraig Harrington, who in the past has prepared for the Open by competing in the Irish PGA Championship at renowned links venue at The European Club in Wicklow as opposed to competing at the Loch Lomond parkland, also approved of the move to a links.
“Castle Stuart is reputed to be a fine addition to Scotland’s links courses and I think many players will welcome the opportunity to play competitive links golf the week prior to the Open, which has proved to be ideal preparation for me in the past,” said Harrington, the 2007 and 2008 Open winner.
When contested at Loch Lomond from 1996 to 2010, the lucrative Scottish Open always attracted a stellar field and promises to continue that trend as top players such as American four-time major winner Phil Mickelson and defending champion Edoardo Molinari are set to join the likes of McDowell and Harrington in the Highlands.
Molinari, who has won twice in Scotland, added: “Winning the Scottish Open was one of the highlights of my career to date and I am looking forward enormously to defending my title at Castle Stuart.
“I am sure that my colleagues on The European Tour will share my delight at the news that we will be playing a classic Scottish links course before heading to Royal St George’s and it promises to be an exciting and competitive two weeks of golf in July.”
Castle Stuart becomes the seventh course to host to the event since its inception in 1972.
"It is always exciting to break new ground and the European Tour is delighted to be staging one of our most prestigious events at a new venue which has been so widely acclaimed," said George O’Grady, European Tour chief executive.
The €3.5 million tournament takes place from July 7th-10th and will have a first prize of €585,000.
