Matthew, who became the first Scot to win a women’s major championship at the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham in August this year, has always said she will play in this event provided there is no serious clash with the LPGA Tour in the US which is her main circuit.
It does clash, however, with the Safeway Classic in Oregon, the first LPGA Tour event after the Women’s British Open. It remains to be seen whether Matthew, who will be defending her title at Royal Birkdale on July 29 to August 1, will stay on for the Scottish tournament, but being close to her North Berwick home it will be an attraction.
It also clashes with another tournament on the EventScotland portfolio, the Scottish Seniors Open at St Andrews, but the 54-hole women’s event has been moved to a Wednesday start so that the overlap is limited to one day, Friday August 20, the first of the three-day senior event.
A title sponsor has been found for the women’s tournament which will have a €200,000 prize fund, the same as the last time it was played at Carrick on Loch Lomond last year, and the identity of the backer is to be announced next year. The initial commitment for the event promoted by WSM Sponsorship is for three years.
The tournament has been changed to a pro-am format similar to the men’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with each professional partnered by one amateur for all three days but with a business rather than celebrity focus on the amateur field.
