The Castle Stuart course in Inverness has pulled off a significant coup after being awarded the Barclays Scottish Open.
Scots Open moved to Links course
The Castle Stuart course in Inverness has pulled off a significant coup after being awarded the Barclays Scottish Open.
The event has been played for the last nine years at Loch Lomond and as the last tournament before The Open Championship, is considered one of the most important on the European Tour.
Many have called for it to be played on a links, as it comes just a week before The Open, and now that has come to pass with Castle Stuart landing the event which was won by Italian Edoardo Molinari last year.
The tournament, which has a prize fund of more than £3million and will be played from July 7-10.
Tim Peat, managing director of Barclays Capital, commented: "We have always received requests from professionals to host the Barclays Scottish Open at a links course and we are delighted the European Tour has selected Castle Stuart.
"We are confident this new links course will be a fantastic venue for the golfing public and our clients to watch the world's best golfers compete."
The award is a significant one for Castle Stuart, who only opened in the summer of 2009.
Exciting
American star Phil Mickelson has applauded the decision to move the venue from the parkland lay-out at Loch Lomond.
"It is a new links course and so it should be ideal preparation for The Open," he told
the Daily Record.
"I know I'm looking forward to testing my game on a strong links course the week before the Open Championship.
"And I'm sure a number of top players from the PGA Tour will be taking advantage of the opportunity. This is set up to be outstanding."
European Tour chief executive George O'Grady added: "It is always exciting to break new ground and everyone at the Tour is delighted to be staging one of our most prestigious events at a new venue which has been so widely acclaimed."
