Ladies Scottish Open :: Celebs join LET stars

A host of celebrities will tee it up alongside some of Europe’s best women golfers at the Ladies Scottish Open at Archerfield Links, East Lothian tomorrow.

Two competitions are being held at the same time over the three-day tournament, the first being a 54-hole strokeplay tournament for the field of 72 professionals.

Hand-in-hand with that, a better-ball pro-am team competition will be played simultaneously where the best score between the professional and her amateur partner is taken at each hole.

After two rounds, a cut will be made to the leading 50 professionals and those tied, as well as to the top 15 teams competing in the Pro-Am. This means that an amateur player could experience the thrill of competing in the last group on the final day.

Ladies Scottish Open :: Celebrities in the field

Hollywood actor and Mission Impossible star Dougray Scott will take to the fairways along with BBC Breakfast News presenter Naga Munchetty. The BBC presenter is sure she’ll learn a thing a thing or two from the tour’s finest.

“It’s great to have been invited to the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open,” said Munchetty. “The unusual format of the tournament, with it being a ro-am for the entire three days, is a great opportunity for us amateur golfers to learn from the ladies at the top of their profession.

“Archerfield is a fantastic golf club and hopefully I can make it through the weekend and be in contention for the amateur award on Sunday.”

Familiar faces from the world of sport will also test themselves against the Archerfield links tomorrow, including last year’s leading amateur, ex-footballer and BBC pundit Alan Hansen.

Skip of the GB women’s curling team, and keen golfer, Eve Muirhead, who won a bronze medal in Sochi, and former Scotland rugby captains Rory Lawson and Gavin Hastings are all set to compete, as well.

The Scottish charge

Catriona Matthew defends the title. A win this weekend would be her third in four years and would make her the only women to successfully defend the Ladies Scottish Open.

Scottish players have won the event for the last three years, with Carly Booth earning her maiden Ladies European Tour with her 2012 Ladies Scottish Open win. This year, she’ll be hoping to improve upon her 2013 top ten finish.

Of the nine Scottish players in the field, Kylie Walker is enjoying a breakthrough season with two play-off victories on the LET this summer, in Holland and Germany. She says she would love to make it a hat-trick in front of a home crowd.

“It would be very special, I would absolutely love it,” said Walker. “It’s such a fun format playing with the amateurs and it makes us pros a bit more relaxed than a normal tournament week.

“Archerfield is a first class golf facility, one of the best in Scotland. The Fidra Course is a really good test, especially if the wind picks up, so I can’t wait.”

Scottish players will tee off from 11:50am-12:10pm in Friday’s first round, with earlier starting times from 7.30am on Saturday.