The five-year sportscotland plan has won the backing of the former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher, who has agreed to become a member of the board of the independent company that is in the process of being established to manage the investment.

Colin Montgomerie, the captain for this year’s match in Wales, Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion, and Catriona Matthew, the defending Women’s British Open champion, have also agreed to advise the board on the merit of potential benefactors.

The need for such support has been highlighted by the near absence in recent years of any of Scotland’s top amateurs making the grade as top professionals, one exception being Richie Ramsay coming through last year to win the South African Open.

However, none of the team who won the Eisenhower Trophy, the world amateur team championship, in 2008 have made an impact and there is an ever growing list of those who have tried and failed over the last decade.

The board is to be chaired by Graeme Simmers, a former chair of sportscotland, and will include Gallacher, Hamish Grey and Shona Malcolm, respectively chief executives of the Scottish Golf Union and Scottish Ladies Golfing Association, plus others including two sportscotland representatives.

It is not clear what the criteria will be to identify benefactors, although a Challenge Tour card for men is thought to be a minimum. Nor is it certain when the money will be available to approved recipients, but the indications yesterday were that it is unlikely to be before the 2011 season to allow sufficient time for the organisation to be set up.

The money is to go towards coaching and training, sports science and attending warm-weather training in addition to the underwriting of playing costs, and a long-term aim is to supplement sportscotland’s contribution through private sector investment.

A further sum of £1,073,720 was committed to the SGU and SLGA to support coaching and development and of that amount, £500,000 is for the clubgolf programme that is aimed at introducing every nine-year-old in Scotland to golf.

The First Minister Alex Salmond, making the announcement yesterday at North Berwick Golf Club, said: “This excellent package of support at every level puts us well on the way to re-establishing Scotland as the world’s greatest golfing nation.”

Louise Martin, chair of sportscotland, referred to the transition funding – that will be available to young pro­fessionals within the Pro­fessional Golfers Association network as well as amateurs – as the last piece of the puzzle to allow Scotland’s golfing talent to flourish.

“The SGU and SLGA deliver consistently both on and off the course and that’s why sportscotland has increased investment in a sport which is part of the very fabric of our nation,” she said.

Matthew, a member at North Berwick who attended yesterday’s launch, acknowledged that the help she received in her first three years from an American philanthropist contributed to her making a successful transition.

“When you turn professional you lose the help you received as an amateur. Not having to worry about the consequences of making the cut takes all the pressure away,” she said.

Ross Kellett, Scotland’s top amateur world-ranked Scot, was also at the launch yesterday. He plans to try to win his card at qualifying school at the end of this year and noted that if successful he could be among the first to qualify for aid. “Some people have said they will support me if I make it but this is set in stone,” he said.