It's 25 years now since Paul Lawrie claimed his first "big win" in the Scottish Assistants' Championship at Cruden Bay.
"I bought a new suit for the prize giving," he said. He's probably bought a few more suits with the earnings that have been cobbled together throughout a lucrative touring career. Then again, Aberdonians have always been canny with the cash. A quarter of a century on from that first significant statement of intent on the Tartan Tour, Lawrie will be back on the domestic circuit that started him off on the road to global success this weekend when he competes in the Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship.
Lawrie was making tentative steps on the main European Tour when he won the Scottish PGA crown at Cardross in 1992. Seven years later, he would be an Open champion. The last time the two-time Ryder Cup player contested the national championship over the PGA Centenary course was in 2005, when he won it again. Here in 2015, Lawrie is relishing the opportunity to return to his roots in an event boasting a prize fund of £40,000 and one that will be staged over the King's course at the plush Perthshire resort.
"Playing at Gleneagles was always the plan as I knew I wouldn't be playing much golf after the Middle East swing at the start of the season," said Lawrie, who has played only five events on the European circuit in 2015. "I learned my trade on the Tartan Tour. There were more four-round events on the Scottish circuit when I played and it's more Pro-Ams now. I always feel that the Scottish PGA were good to me when I played, so any time I get a chance to go back I'll do it. That's why I started my own Invitational event on the Tartan Tour, too give something back and give the boys more three or four round tournaments. I've not played the King's course since the days of the Scottish Open being held there but it will be nice to go back and I'm looking forward to it."
Lawrie, who also won the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in 2012, headlines a strong field for the Tartan Tour's flagship event. Gareth Wright will defend the title he won a year ago while Lawrie's fellow Aberdonian Greig Hutcheon, the dominant force on the domestic scene in recent years, will no doubt be at the sharp end of affairs again. A posse of former European Tour winners, including Andrew OIdcorn, Stephen McAllister, Jonathan Lomas and Ronan Rafferty, are also in the line up while the female challenge is led by Heather MacRae, who became the first woman to play in the national championship in 76 years when she qualified for the 2009 event. "This will be a wonderful curtain-raiser for the 2015 Tartan Tour season," said Brian Mair, the secretary of the Scottish PGA.
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