New Paul Lawrie lady Pro/ Amateur circuit will visit top courses

PAUL LAWRIE GOLF CENTRE

SCOTTISH LADIES OPEN TOUR

NEW PAUL LAWRIE LADY PRO/AMATEUR CIRCUIT WILL MAKE WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF TOP COURSES

The inaugural Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Ladies Open Tour will call in at some of Scotland's best links and inland courses in its 14-event schedule which tees off in April and runs through to mid-October.
The experimental tour is designed to provide a testing ground for lady professionals so that they  can raise their game to the standard required to qualify for the Ladies European Tour.

But the organisers would also welcome entries from competitors who are already members of the Ladies European Tour and also LETAS so that keen competition is assured.

PLGC SLOT events are also open to female amateurs with single-figure handicaps so they can assess, by playing alongside professionals, whether or not they are good enough players to turn pro.

The tour, which is also being backed by the R&A, is modelled on the no-frills Scottish alliance format of 18-hole, one-day competitions which will be held in back-to-back double-headers at relatively adjacent courses to save competitors' accommodation expenses.
Only the 14th and last event on the 2013 schedule - the
Tour Championship at Marriott Dalmahoy, Edinburgh (a Solheim Cup
venue in the past) - will be over two days and 36 holes.

Ryder Cup hero and Open champion at Carnoustie in 1999, Aberdeen-
born Paul Lawrie is thrilled by the fact that the fledgling tour, which bears his name, will be hosted by a variety of  links and inland courses, enabling the players to hone their skills.

“It's fantastic news. Many, many thanks to everyone involved in allowing the lady professionals and up-and-coming amateur girls the chance to play on such high profile courses," said Paul.

Nicola Melville, the only lady PGA teaching professional at St Andrews, and veteran golf writer Colin Farquharson are co-organisers of the first all-female open pro tour to be held in Scotland. Nicola will be the focal point for competitors at all the events

She said:
"The fact that so many quality courses appear on our first schedule is
bound to help us attract competitors from outwith Scotland - which is a
necessity as there are not enough lady pros in Scotland, even if they all
turn up on the same day, to make the enterprise a viable proposition.
"There has been a great deal of interest shown in our new tour already
with would-be player registrations from outwith Scotland - England,
Germany and Spain among others to date."

Christopher Campbell, the Grantown-on-Spey-born head professional at Trump International Links, said:“We are pleased to support Paul Lawrie and the local businessmen behind this initiative aimed at developing Scottish female professionals and the top amateur golfers in the country.

“What Paul has done for Scottish junior golf, especially in the North-east of Scotland is great for the game of golf and the well-being of children growing up in the area. He has now put his name to a Scottish Ladies Open Tour which will further enhance the game in Scotland so we were happy to offer the required tee times for the competitors on Monday, May 6.”

The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Ladies Open Tour will debut at Marriott  Dalmahoy, Edinburgh on April 18 and call at venues such as Trump International Links, Carnoustie, Blairgowrie, The Duke's, Fairmont St Andrews, Craigielaw and Haggs Castle before returning to the Edinburgh venue for its closing fixture of 2013,  the Tour Championship, which will have prize money of £5,000 (based on a field of 30 players),  over 36 holes on October 9-10.

The remainder of the events, if they attract 30 entries, will have prizefunds of £2,500 or £3,500, depending on the level of sponsorship. All entry fees will go into the prizefunds. In all, the inaugural PLGC Scottish Ladies Open Tour will be offering total prize money well in excess of £30,000.

News of the PLGC SLOT entries and directions to the courses, where to stay and how to go about obtaining practice rounds, is available on its website: https://www.scottishladiestour.co.uk/home

Entries can be made online and no entry fees have to be paid until the draw for that particular tournament has been made.

There is no minimum or maximum age for the lady/girl amateurs as long as they have single-figure handicaps. Ten amateurs is the maximum entitlement in a field of 30. If the amateurs do not take up their entitlement, the vacant places will go to lady professionals in order of entry.

Most of the fields will be limited to around 30 players because the host clubs are giving the courtesy of the course. It will be first come first served for lady pro entries. If there are more than 10 amateur entries for a tournament, the lower handicap players will be given priority. 

The organisers will be consulting competitors throughout the season with a view to expanding the size of the fields next year when, subject to the players' wishes, two-day events will become the norm.

As a player-friendly tour, no official prizegiving ceremonies will be held except for the Tour Championship. Otherwise players can leave the venue as soon as they have checked and signed their scorecards, leaving a mobile telephone contact number with Nicola Melville.

Players can collect their prize money (or amateur voucher) from Nicola at the next venue if they do not wish to hang around until the end of play when Nicola will draw up a list of final scores and prize money distribution.

End of tournament information will be posted on www.scottishladiestour.co.uk and www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk ASAP .

Estimated prize funds are based on fields of 30 players. A breakdown of the distribution of prize money is also available on www.scottishladiestour.co.uk .

Amateurs will not have separate prizelists. They are competing against the professionals and, depending on their position in the final standings at any tournament, can win vouchers up to a maximum value of £500 (limited by the Rules of Amateur Status).

The leading pro in the PLGC SLOT Order of Merit at the end of the Tour Championship in October will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Morocco for the 2013 LET Q School or to compete in the Moroccan Ladies Challenge which is planned to be played between Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Q School at Marrakesh.

The leading amateur in the Order of Merit will win a stay at self-catering accommodation at Gleneagles Village (to the value of £500).

To allow for players travelling long distances to the courses, in general the first tee times will not be until around 1.30 or 2pm with the odd exception.

INAUGURAL PAUL LAWRIE GOLF CENTRE SCOTTISH LADIES

OPEN TOUR SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND VENUES

APRIL
18 Marriott Dalmahoy East Course, Edinburgh ( £2,500 ).
19 Ratho Park, Edinburgh ( £2,500 )

MAY
6 Trump International Links , 12 miles north of Aberdeen ( £3,500 ). Hole in one prize at 16th - £10,000 or £100 for nearest the hole.
7 Deeside GC, Aberdeen (£3,500). Hole in one prize at 1st - £10,000 or £100 for nearest the hole.

6-7 Saltire Energy 36-hole championship (Prizes based on the best two-round aggregates from Trump International and Deeside) ( £1,250 ).

JUNE
No events because of British women's open amateur Championship and Vagliano Trophy which will involve all the elite amateurs .

JULY
2 Downfield GC, Dundee (£2,500 )
3 Carnoustie Burnside ( £2,500 )

11 Blairgowrie Rosemount , Perthshire ( £2,500 ).
12 Alyth GC, Perthshire ( £2,500)

AUGUST
26 Fairmont St Andrews Torrance Course ( £2,500 ).
27 The Duke's, St Andrews ( £2,500 )

SEPTEMBER
23 Haggs Castle GC, Glasgow ( £2,500 )
24 Drumpellier GC , Glasgow (£2,500 )

OCTOBER
7 Craigielaw , East Lothian ( £2,500 )
9-10 Marriott Dalmahoy Tour Championship (36 holes, 2 days)

+Entry fee for the Tour Championship is £100 and the prizefund a minimum of £5,000 ). All other entry fees during the season are  £50 per player.

+Sponsorship is being pursued to raise the £2,500 prizefunds.

CO-ORGANISERS' CONTACT E-MAIL ADDRESSES