Next tournament – St Andrews (Jubilee) 16-18 September

Rory and Sam’s baby is due in early September so he won’t be competing at the Spey Valley Masters and is expecting to be back for the tournament at the home of golf.

Completed Tournaments 2024

Leven Links – 19-21 August

Position – Tied 9 – 6 under

Back to familiar ground in Fife after a longer break, lots of practice and time to reflect meant a much better outcome for Rory. Despite it being August, the wind was cool and gusty and made for difficult conditions – woolly hats and mitts were the order of the day! A first round of 1 under put Rory in tied 29 so at the projected cut line. Two under on the second day again in challenging conditions saw him climb the leader board and make the cut comfortably as 2 under moved him to tied 11th place. It didn’t get any warmer, drier or calmer on day 3 but Rory’s experience of links golf and consistency of the tee saw him shoot 3 under to finish in tied 9th. Looks like that form is coming back.

Blairgowrie – 28-30 July

Position – Tied 77 – 10 over

After a break it was off to Perthshire but the form from June had still to reappear. A tough first round with no birdies on the card was always going to make life difficult and although there were three birdies on the second day, including the last two holes, it was too far off the cut line to make it to the third day. So it was back to the practice ground for some grinding and off to work caddying at Renaissance Golf Club.

Nairn Dunbar – 15-17 July

Position – Tied 71 – 7 over

Another trip to the north of Scotland proved difficult with Rory struggling to find the form from Newmacher and the Regional Qualifying at the Open. The second round in particular proved tough and despite making four birdies, it wasn’t enough to counter-balance the double and treble bogeys from early in the round.

Ladybank – 10-12 July

Position – Tied 37 – 1 over

An eagle start in the first round looked promising and resulted in a first round of 3 under and in tied 3rd place but a poor back 9 on day two including a double bogey cancelled out the first day score and a birdie on the second last hole wasn’t enough to make the cut which sat at 1 under par.

Final Open Qualifying – Dundonald Links – 2 July

Position – Tied 30 – 7 over

After a strong initial start in the morning it turned tough for Rory and shooting 80 meant that the chances of qualifying were very slim. He went on to shoot a very respectable 71 in the afternoon but wasn’t able to progress. It was good to see other Tartan Pro Tour players make it into the biggest golf tournament of the season.

Newmacher 25-27 June

Position – Tied 11 – 3 under

Building on his success at Barassie, it was straight to a trip up north and while the inconsistencies were still there, there was a satisfying number of birdies over the three rounds including seven in the final round. Rory made the cut on the number at level par and it was promising to see him shoot 3 under on the last day to move up the leader board.

Regional Open Qualifying – Barassie – 24 June

Position – Tied 3 – 3 under

The 18 hole shoot out on the west coast of Scotland went well for Rory and a great boost of confidence going into the next Tartan Pro Tour event at Newmacher.

Cadrona 11-13 June

Position – Tied 36 – Level par

Another frustrating week on a familiar course where Rory has had his best finish previously on a Tartan Pro Tour event, missing the cut by a shot. Rory shot level par both days with three birdies in each round but a bogey and a double cancelled them out in the first round and three bogeys did the same in the second. Bouncing back from the frustration of this builds resilience.

Portlethen 27-29 May

Position – Tied 26 Score – 3 under

Another visit to the north east coast of Scotland and Rory made the cut eventually finishing T26. The first and third rounds were completed in level par whilst a round of -3 ensured Rory made the cut. The round included a fabulous eagle on the second and birdies on 6 and 11 with just one bogey. It would have been good to finish higher and lots of birdies – 8 plus that eagle – shows lots of possibilities for the next tournament at a familiar course.

Montrose – 14-16 May

Position – Tied 55 Score – 3 over

Poor weather impacted the first three day professional event on the Tartan Pro Tour Schedule resulting in the second day being abandoned due to foggy conditions as the North Sea Haar or sea mist failed to clear fully. The tournament was reduced to 36 holes with no cut and the top 30 being paid out.

Another strong start with Rory shooting one under couldn’t be consolidated however and a poor start to the second round resulted in a second round score of four over, dropping him down the leaderboard to tied 55.

Hoping for both better weather and improved scores at the next event at Portlethen.

Head over to the Tartan Pro Tour site for more details on the scoreboard

Farmfoods Aberdeen Links Pro-Am 24 -26 April

Position – Tied 28 Score – 4 over

The pre-cursor to the Tartan Pro Tour was a three round Pro-Am over three iconic courses on the Aberdeenshire Coast. Rory got off to a strong start scoring 3 under at Royal Aberdeen. This was followed with a 3 over at Trump International then 4 over at the tricky Cruden Bay Links.

Four over resulted in a tied 28 position for Rory.

His team, Barratt Homes, finished in a creditable ninth position.

St Andrews Jubilee – 10 April

Position – 1 Score – 4 under

FIRST PROFESSIONAL WIN – poor weather in St Andrews reduce this Big Johnson’s Tour event to an 18 hole shootout over the Jubilee Course after the Castle Course was closed following heavy rain. Even with the challenging, blustery cold conditions, Rory shot a very creditable 4 under to claim his first professional win – a great start to the season.

Completed Tournaments – 2023

2023 Summary

A much improved year for Rory on the Tartan Pro Tour which saw him finish 12th on the Order of Merit

• 12 starts

• 5 Top Ten finishes

• 2 Top Five finishes

Gleneagles Tour Championship – September

The end of season championship took Rory to the Ryder Cup venue and one of the toughest courses for all players. He came a creditable tied 5th with an overall score of 4 over so wasn’t the only one to find it challenging.

Jubilee St Andrews – September

Continuing with a theme of under par overall results, Rory shot one under to finish tied 12th.

Leven Links – August

Another tied 8th finish as Rory shot 7 under on another familiar course.

Downfield Masters 12 -14 July

Following on from a low score at Cadrona, Rory followed up with a three under to finish tied 8th at Downfield. Good scoring is starting to become a habit.

Cadrona – July

Cadrona in the Scottish Borders just outside Peebles is a familiar course to Rory and a very creditable 12 under gave him his highest finish to date on the Tartan Pro Tour tying for second place.

Regional Open Qualifying – Barassie 26 June 2023

A disappointing +7 on a familiar course ended this year’s dream of playing The Open. It’s back to work and practice as the focus returns to the Tartan Pro Tour and the chase for a Challenge Tour place.

Dundonald Links Classic 19 – 21 June 2023

A good finish in the final round resulted in a T20 place after a mixed bag. It was satisfying to bounce back after a poor end to the first round. Lots of birdies show the potential is there.

The Pollock Open – 14 – 16 June 2023

After a poor first round with the first round in the 80s this season, the best response was an under par round. Whilst this wasn’t enough to make the cut, it did show that a low score is never far away. Developing consistency is now key as the chase for a Challenge Tour card heats up.

Portlethen – 29-31 May 2023

Fairmont – 22-24 May 2023

Montrose – 10-12 May 2023

Barassie – 1-3 May 2023

Moortown – 17 April 2023

St Andrews Links – 12-13 April 2023

Completed tournaments -2022

DP World Q School – Ayamonte, Spain – November 2022

This was the biggest tournament of Rory’s professional career to date. There was a late venue change which meant a flight to Faro in Portugal as Ayamonte lies just over the Portuguese/Spanish border.

A first round par score left Rory in T58 – an early taste of the high standards.

It was time to take things up a notch and Rory submitted a -5 round in the second round to move up to T20 and have a chance to qualify for final stage.

However round three proved tough finishing with a one over par score to move down to T43. There was a lot of chat about how many qualifying places were up for grabs so a good final push was required.

Rory shot -4 to finish -8 under overall. And this is where the standard of competition really showed as he moved from T43 to T54!

An amazing experience at a stunning venue against some of the finest up and coming golfers from around the world left Rory wanting more. Winter work is next and hoping for a great 2023.

Renaissance – 10 – 11 October

Ladybank Masters – 29 September

Europro Tour ending

Clevedon proved to be Rory’s final Europro Tour event of the season as he hadn’t qualified for the Tour Championships. Sadly, the Europro Tour then announced that this would be the final season.

Clevedon – 21-23 September

Rory needed a good result at Clevedon to retain his card but it wasn’t to be. As it turns out however, the Europro Tour is ending after this season so other options will be pursued.

Leven Links – 14-16 September

Practically a local course and one that Rory is familiar with but conditions proved too tough this year.

Spey Valley – 7-9 September

A trip up north and autumnal rain cut short this event. Despite this, Rory finished in the money. He likes the ninth hole here.

Clandeboye – 24 – 26 August

A trip back to Rory’s favourite Europro Tour venue involved a ferry ride across to Northern Ireland. With three eagles over the three rounds and the first top ten finish on the Europro Tour, it remains his favourite venue.

Machynys Peninsula – 10-12 August

A long trip to South West Wales again proved a strong test of golf and another cut missed.

Mannings Heath – 3-5 August

Level par over two rounds at this standard just isn’t enough to make a cut that was -3

Slaley Hall – 27-29 July

Nice to have a tournament closer to home and another familiar venue. Too many mistakes after a strong start in the second round on a tough course means another cut missed.

The Vale – 20-22 July

First cut of the year on Europro right on the nose. The practice and perseverence showing results.

Belton Woods – 13-15 July

And so it went on – this is where tenacity becomes important – keeping going and focusing on the strong aspects. A strong first round with plenty of birdies but a tough second one.

Abridge Golf Club – 29 June – 1 July

The run of missed cuts continued however birdies were being made and improvements felt.

Cumberwell Park – 22-24 June

Another familiar course and much closer to the cut, missing by just one shot.

Studley Wood – 15-17 June

A familiar course wasn’t enough to make a first cut. Good to see an eagle on the scorecard and a birdie, birdie finish.

Donnington Grove – 8-10 June

The run of missed cuts continued but progress was felt and birdies made.

Telford Hotel Golf Resort – 1-3 June

The second Europro event also resulted in a missed cut but the margin was smaller so progress made.

Harleyford – 25-27 May

A tough start to the season missing the cut after a long trip to Marlow.

Dundonald Links Classic – 4 – 5 May

Having two events back to back was good to develop stamina ready for the next stage of the season. It certainly worked in Rory’s favour as he recorded his highest finish to date at T2 with a creditable three under par. The eight birdies over the two days show he’s in good form as the start of the PGA Europro Tour approaches.

Barassie Links Classic 2 – 3 May

It was off to the west coast of Scotland for this event with the challenge of wind and rain. Rory finished T43 at two over. He was happy to record another eagle alongside three birdies over the two days.

Royal Dornoch Masters 25 – 26 April

Next came the long drive north to Rory’s favourite, and one of the best links courses in the world, to Royal Dornoch. A tough challenge, Rory made eight birdies over the two rounds which was enough for his highest finish this year so far. He ended at T16 on -1.

This is also a favourite of Aimee Smith Studios – check out the website for more details

Montrose Links Masters 18 – 19 April

A tough couple of days on this challenging links course perched on the North Sea left Rory in T57 at seven over. A nine on the first day was tough to take but a -2 on day two showed he can bounce back. The seven birdies and an eagle indicated good potential.

Blairgowrie Perthshire Masters 11 – 12 April

After having his best finish here in 2021, Rory was keen to get underway. Ended with a T47 finish at six over but happy to make four birdies over the two rounds.

Completed tournaments – 2021

Carnoustie Tour Championship 27 – 28 October

The final event of the season was held over the famous, challenging Carnoustie links. The first day was tough and a strong finish ensured a score in the seventies. And, despite worsening conditions on day two, a satisfying under-par score was carded for the final event of the season.

Q School 2022 supported by Sky Sports 13-15 October 2021

A great finish on the first day pushed Rory up the leaderboard and he was able to build on this on day two. Day three was tougher but a top 30 finish ensured Rory’s spot on the tour next year.

Blairgowrie Perthshire Masters 28 – 29 September

From top-class links courses to the fantastic parkland courses of Blairgowrie, another Tartan Pro Tour event provided a great opportunity for Rory to record a great score on a familiar track. The putts dropped and Rory was in contention throughout. He made 13 birdies to finish a creditable -7 in third place. This is Rory’s best professional finish to date.

St Andrews Classic 21 – 22 September

The Tartan Pro Tour has provided excellent opportunities for the Scottish based professionals since being established in 2020. And Scotland’s wealth of superb golf courses has enabled the tour to deliver great events.

The St Andrews Classic was played over the New and Jubilee courses in tough, windy conditions – a real test of golf.

Castletown Golf Links 15 – 17 September 2021

The final regular event of the season was across the water again. This time it was off to the Isle of Man for the re-scheduled Castletown tournament.

Rory needed a top ten finish to ensure full status for the 2022 season.

He made the cut and recorded three under par rounds. This was enough to finish on -7 in Tied 37. Lots of positives to take from this even though it means returning to qualifying school at the final stage to secure status.

The Motorcaddy Masters at Leven Links 8 – 10 September 2021

The second PGA Europro event of the season back in Scotland was at a familiar course for Rory. The standard was high and despite giving himself plenty of chances the putts just weren’t dropping.

The event did see a score of 59 from Jack South.

Studley Wood Championship 1 – 3 September 2021

Back to England and a good -2 start on day one looked promising. Scoring on the second day however resulted in a missed cut and an early trip home to check out the new house.

Northern Ireland Masters at Clandeboye 18 – 20 August 2021

Played on one of the best set-ups Rory has experienced so far on the PGA Europro Tour was made better by making the cut. A great 68 score – 3 under after the first day, provided the opportunity to progress. Scoring was tough over the next two days and weather played a part. The final day’s play got underway eventually after the unusual foggy conditions cleared.

Cubefunder Championship at Luton Hoo 11 – 13 August 2021

In the glorious setting of Luton Hoo on a course which despite no bunkers, was deceptively tough, Rory just missed out on the cut. An eagle and two birdies on day one cancelled out the three bogeys. An up and down second round however, meant at +1, Rory missed the cut by one shot.

Nokia Masters at Mannings Heath 4 – 6 August 2021

This was a good outing for Rory. The standard was tough with the cut sitting at -5. Two good rounds meant Rory made this at -6.

Pushing for a good score in the final round was going well until a run of bogey, par, double bogey, bogey saw him drop down the scoreboard. Unfazed, he made two late birdies to cement his best finish to date at Tied 31.

PDC Championship at East Sussex National 28 – 30 July

East Sussex proved to be a tough course. The first time in some time that the cut was over par at +3. A triple bogey on day one was always going to be hard to come back from. Rory pushed hard but a double bogey on day two at 16 meant he missed the cut by two shots.

The Wright-Morgan Championship at Clevedon Golf Club 14 – 16 July

One under after the first round, meant Rory was chasing a low score in the second round. The putts just weren’t dropping this week however so it wasn’t to be. The standard is incredibly high – the cut at this event was -5.

More work on putting was planned in and some confidence was taken from the eagle and four birdies made this week. Two chip-ins were good to see too.

Worcestershire Masters 30 June – 2 July 2021

A trip south after Open qualifying saw Rory make his first cut of the PGA Europro Tour at the Worcestershire Masters at The Vale Golf Club. Eleven birdies over three days were enough to make the money list. Making birdie on the par 5 10th on all three days was particularly satisfying.

Open regional qualifying – St Anne’s Old – 26 June

Sadly it wasn’t to be this year. It was Rory’s first round on this course and a birdie and eagle weren’t enough due to a couple of poor holes. He finished two shots off the pace of +1 so it’s back to the PGA Europro.

Open regional qualifying – 26 June

The Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters – Montrose Golf Links 23 – 25 June

It was an anxious wait to see if the cut had been made this week but sadly missed by a single shot in another strong field. Two rounds of 69 meant Rory sat at 4 under but the cut finished at 5 so it was a shorter journey than usual home.

Lots of good points to take from this tournament with some great ball striking and easy pars. Work on the putting green will mean that more putts drop and that will mean more birdies.

Cumberwell Park Championship – Cumberwell Park Golf Club 16 – 18 June

In another talented field, the cut was set at -3 which again proved too low for Rory despite another display of great ball striking. After a triple bogey at the 10th hole in the first round, Rory made a great comeback, making up the lost shots with four birdies.

It was back to the practice area at Dalmahoy to work on his game over the weekend before the much shorter trip up to Montrose.

Jessie May World Snooker Golf Championship – Donnington Grove Golf Club 9 – 11 June

An eagle and five birdies over the two rounds gave plenty of positives but another costly hole ultimately meant Rory would again miss the cut. After shooting five over in the first round, Rory completed the second round in level par. The 11th hole proved expensive with double bogies on both days.

IFX Championship – Harleyford Golf Club

The first PGA Europro event of the year resulted in some mixed scoring from Rory. Missing the cut by two shots at 3 under was disappointing but he made a number of birdies and eagles. One poor hole effectively cost him qualification for the final day. Lots to work on going forward and generally happy with his game and how we bounced back from the setback on 12 on the first day.

The Pollock Open

Rory finished tied 30 at one under par in his final Tartan Pro Tour event before the start of the PGA Europro

Castle Stuart

A one-round event held over a number of days gave Rory the opportunity to compete Alan Tait’s Back to Golf Tour on the way back from Dornoch. The putts just weren’t dropping but happy with his game and back home now to prepare for the start of the PGA Europro tour in May.

Royal Dornoch

This didn’t go as well as Barrassie. Some challenging weather on this amazing course meant scoring was more difficult for Rory. Another great experience on one of the best links courses in the world

Barrassie

A great first day, including a run of three birdies, saw Rory in second spot. This meant he teed up on the second day with Open Silver Medal winner Sam Locke and fellow Europro player Ryan Campbell. A bogey at the first put Rory on the back foot but he played some good golf – the putts just didn’t drop the way they had on the first day.

A first money day for the 2021 season. Not the finish Rory had hoped for but a good springboard to the next tournament at Royal Dornoch.

Montrose

The Tartan Pro Tour event at Montrose Golf Links was held over two rounds on 15th and 16th April. Not quite the scores Rory was looking for but a great course and lots to work on.

Practice went well on 14th April and course was in great condition.

2021 – PGA Europro supported by Sky Sports

Mini tours

Tartan pro golf tour

This tour was started by Paul Lawrie in 2020 during the covid restrictions and provided great opportunities for golf professionals in Scotland to play competitive golf. The great man himself competed in most of the tournaments.

A schedule has been announced for 2021 with some of the finest courses as venues. Dornoch is a real favourite of mine so hoping this goes ahead in April and ending the year at Carnoustie would be fantastic.

More dates and venues here

Jamega Tour

If there are gaps in the schedule, then I’ll be looking to catch up with the Jamega Tour team. The tournaments normally take place in the south of England where many of the PGA Europro events are held.

More information here

Portugal Pro Golf Tour 2021

While 2020 provided a number of challenges for golf, it also provided more opportunities on mini tours in Scotland for Rory Smith Golf. However Scotland in winter can be a bit chilly.

The announcement that the next swing of the Portugal Pro Golf Tour is due to go ahead in January 2021 could provided the first chance of the year to get some warm weather training in.

Sadly, this series was cancelled but Rory is hopeful of spending some time in Portugal.