Rory at Montrose May 2024. Thanks to Graeme McCubbin for the picture
The Tartan Pro Tour got underway at a misty Montrose with a full field.
This year there are two Challenge Tour places up for grabs as well as Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points following the announcement of the inclusion of the Tartan Pro Tour in the OWGR System..
A North Sea Haar (sea mist) rolled in on the second day which meant the tournament was cut to 36 holes. Sam Locke, a silver medal winner at the Open, triumphed after a play off after shooting 10 under on the first day. This demonstrates the quality of the tour as founder and former Open Champion, Paul Lawrie, and DP World Tour player David Drysdale, also competed.
Not the best start for Rory with a mixed bag in the first round ending at one under with three birdies and an eagle counter-acted with four bogies. A poor start to the second round with over par scores on the first four holes was followed with a steady stream of 13 pars and a birdie. Lots of food for thought before the next event at Portlethen from 27-29 May.
Rory really enjoys playing on the Tartan Pro Tour for a number of reasons with less travel being a key one. When he started out on his professional career, the main mini tour in the UK was the Europro Tour. Tournaments tended to take place in the south of England which meant many miles on the road and lots of overnight stays.
Since Paul Lawrie established the Tartan Pro Tour after the covid lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 which restricted travel, it has gone from strength to strength. Initially intended to give Scottish players the opportunity to play high standard tournaments, it’s now attracting players from across the UK as well as a number of international players.
In 2024 the opportunity to earn a Challenge Tour card was improved with two now available. In addition, players on the tour can also earn OWGR points which again makes it more attractive.
Almost 100 players tee’d up for the first main event at Montrose and a reserve list was also in place, an indication of the demand to play.
Past iconic courses have included Royal Dornoch as well as Carnoustie – the scene of Paul Lawrie’s legendary Open victory. 2024’s tour championship will be played out over the challenging links of Trump International on the Aberdeenshire coast.
This combination of opportunities to progress, challenging golf courses and strong competition means the Tartan Pro Tour is established as possibly the leading feeder tour now in the UK.