THIS summer’s Scottish feast of golf shifts from east to west this week and it’s the turn of the women to wow the crowds with a fantastic Ayrshire double.
First up is the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies’ Scottish Open starting at Dundonald Links on Friday and then it’s on to Turnberry for the Ricoh Women’s British Open.
The star attraction at both events will be the hottest property in golf, Lydia Ko. Just 17 when she became the world No 1 in February, the New Zealander is a phenomenal talent who came close to winning her first Major as a 16-year-old amateur when she finished runner-up in the 2013 Evian Championship.
Ko has already won seven times on the US-based LPGA Tour and has three Ladies’ European Tour wins – two New Zealand Opens and this season’s Australian Open.
In recent years, the Scottish Open has been good to home players. Catriona Matthew won the title at Archerfield in 2011 and 2013 and Carly Booth was the 2012 champion.
At the mid-point of this season, Pamela Pretswell is the Scot making a mark. Seventh on the Order of Merit with six top-11 finishes from eight events, the Hamilton golfer is enjoying easily her best season in three years on Tour.
“My highest finish was a fourth in the Scottish Open when I was a rookie, but consistency has been the key this season,” said the former Curtis Cup player. “I’ve found my feet over the past couple of years and now I’m shooting a lot more rounds under par.”
During a break from the circuit this weekend, Pretswell hasn’t been lounging on the couch watching the men fight the elements at The Open at St Andrews. Despite the poor weather, she has been out on the range and working hard at King’s Acre Golf Course in Lasswade with coach Alan Murdoch.
“It’s great. Like the men with the Scottish Open and then The Open, the women are looking forward to two great weeks,” she said. “And it’s so good that players such as Lydia Ko are going to play in the Scottish. It helps raise the profile.
“I played in the British Open as an amateur at Carnoustie in 2011, but this is going to be my first time as a professional, and it’s a bonus that it will be at Turnberry.
“I had to be in the top 25 in the Order of Merit by the cut-off date to avoid the qualifying and it was a relief to make it. It will be nice to be playing in the event instead of watching it on TV.
“I’m also really looking forward to Dundonald. I’ve played the course a few times, most recently last weekend, and it was in terrific condition.”
The 54-hole Scottish Open has increased the prize purse to £385,000 this year and an added attraction is the list of celebrities that will be taking part in the three-day Pro-am format.
Alan Hansen won the amateur title at Archerfield last August with his regular partner, England’s Trish Johnson, and will be back to defend it Other leading challengers will include Norway’s two-time Major winner Suzann Pettersen, and golf’s most famous Dame, Laura Davies.
Matthew, the only Scot to win a women’s Major with her triumph at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2009, also faces an important two weeks as she tries to consolidate her place in the Solheim Cup rankings to make sure of an eighth appearance for Europe in Germany in September.
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