2012 Scottish Golf Awards launched

Countdown well and truly on to the biggest night of the year for Scottish golf

The countdown to this year’s Annodata Scottish Golf Awards has officially begun after Catriona Matthew and Michael Stewart were reunited with the Solheim Cup and Walker Cup trophies at the awards launch.

A celebration of Scottish Golf’s achievements over the past 12 months, the prestigious event takes place on Friday, March 23, returning to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow, with all proceeds from the Awards going towards the development of young golfers in Scotland.

Open to all golf fans, the glittering evening of champagne and champions will bring together players from all spectrums of the game, from the top Tour professionals past and present to those involved in the grass roots of the game.

The Annodata Scottish Golf Awards will be hosted by respected BBC golf commentator Andrew Cotter. Tickets for the event cost £75 per person or £700 for a table of ten. It offers a great night out for groups of golfing friends or companies and organisations looking to entertain key clients and customers.

Scotland’s leading male and female amateurs from 2011 will be presented with their Awards, while the work of clubs at community level will be recognised with the RBS Junior Club and Volunteer of the Year Awards. There will be a new recipient of the SGU and SLGA ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, won last year by former Open Champion Paul Lawrie and victorious Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.

Catriona Matthew, Scotland’s leading female professional, enjoyed a fantastic year in 2011, winning on the LPGA Tour and the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open on home soil, as well as playing a pivotal role in Europe’s famous Solheim Cup win, while Michael Stewart helped Great Britain and Ireland to victory in the Walker Cup alongside James Byrne, in addition to winning the South African Amateur Championship and reaching the final of The Amateur Championship.

Clutching the Solheim Cup, Matthew said: “The 2012 Scottish Golf Awards will be a great event with lots to look back on and celebrate from last year.

“It was a great year with Scots winning on the PGA, Nationwide, European, LPGA and Ladies European Tours – quite a feat when you think about it. Notably, there were also the amazing performances of both The Solheim Cup and Walker Cup teams.”

Stewart, the 2011 Scottish Amateur Golfer of the Year, holding the Walker Cup, added: “I’m sure anyone who buys a ticket will have a great night on.

“It’s always great to be honoured at these events and it’s nice that these awards reflect the achievements of all levels of the Scottish game. It’s good for the young amateurs and volunteers to also be mingling with the top pros.”

A new award for 2012 is the overall ‘Player of the Year’ gong, with the likes of Matthew, Stewart, Open de Andalucia winner Paul Lawrie, two-time Scottish Amateur champion David Law, European Tour rookie Scott Jamieson and Scottish Women’s Amateur champion Louise Kenney all in the running. An on-line vote for golf fans, via the Scottish Golf Union website at www.scottishgolf.org, will determine the winner, with all voters entered into a free prize draw to win a free pair of tickets for the event.

Tickets for the evening can be purchased on-line via the Scottish Golf Shop at www.scottishgolf.org or by calling the ticket hotline on 01334 466477.

A new name will be sponsoring the event this year, with Annodata acquiring last year’s event sponsors Xerox Office Solutions. Annodata is one of Europe’s largest independent vendors for print, document, data and communication technologies and is the SGU’s official office equipment supplier, providing services to many golf clubs across Scotland.

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered