Scottish Golf make major changes for 2017

Scottish Golf has made some major changes to its championships for the 2017 season.

Following a comprehensive review of its annual calendar, alterations
have been made to the Scottish Boys’ Open Stroke Play, Scottish Boys’
Amateur and Scottish Girls’ Amateur, while the Scottish Amateur will
undergo a change in format.

The Scottish Boys’ Open Stroke Play, hosted this year at Monifieth,
has moved to an Easter holiday slot of April 12-14, while the Scottish
Boys’ Amateur (last year’s champion Will Porter, below) moves from its traditional April slot to the school summer holidays (June 30 – July 5).

READ MORE -> “Scottish Boys switch makes complete sense”

For the first time, the Scottish Boys’ Amateur will be played
alongside the Scottish Girls’ Amateur, both over the neighbouring
courses of Scotscraig and Drumoig.

The Scottish Boys’ Amateur and Scottish Amateur – hosted at Prestwick (below)
and Prestwick St Cuthbert – have also changed format, both switching
from straight knock-out to 36-hole strokeplay qualifying, with the
leading 64 players (and ties) reaching the matchplay stages.

Meanwhile, the winners of the Scottish Men’s, Women’s, Boys’ and
Girls’ Amateur Championships will all secure automatic spots in their
respective Scotland Home Internationals sides from this season.

READ MORE -> Controversy surrounds Scottish Amateur match

The move comes after the governing body was criticised last year for the omission of Scottish Women’s Amateur champion Ailsa Summers (below) from the Ladies’ Home Internationals team.

Stuart Clayton, new Acting Head of Performance for Scottish Golf,
said: “In all of our Scottish Amateur Championships, apart from the
Senior Men’s, the winners will have come through head-to-head matchplay
format, which mirrors the style played at the Home Internationals.

“We therefore feel the champion will have demonstrated the
capabilities required to perform well at the Homes and thus would be
deserving of an automatic place.”

READ MORE -> Scottish Golf respond to Ailsa Summers snub

In a further new addition for 2017, domestic Order of Merit points
will now be awarded at both male and female level for the leading 16
players in strokeplay qualifying for the Scottish Championships and
British Championships, aided by the revised formats in the Scottish
Men’s and Boys’ events.

“The awarding of points will offer a small bonus for the players,
rewarding good performances in the stroke play stages, underlining it as
being a key area for player development,” added Clayton.

Scottish Golf 2017 championships

To enter a 2017 Scottish Golf championship or for more information, head to scottishgolf.org/events.