Ladies Scottish Open signals Ryder Cup countdown

As Trish Johnson proved that age was no barrier when she won yesterday’s Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open at Archerfield Links, it brought the curtain down on Scotland’s golf event preparations ahead of the Ryder Cup and Junior Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and Blairgowrie at the end of this month.

The event at Archerfield Links, which was established by EventScotland in 2007 as part of the preparations for the 2014 Ryder Cup, has become the 53rd tournament to be supported as part of Scotland’s Ryder Cup commitments since 2003.

That leaves just the Junior Ryder Cup, which will take place at Blairgowrie during the same week as the main event, to go before Scotland’s 13-year journey towards Gleneagles is complete.

Johnson won the event, finishing two strokes clear of Frenchwoman Gwladys Nocera, to become the oldest winner on the European Tour at the age of 48.

Ladies Scottish Open a key legacy of Ryder Cup 2014

EventScotland, a directorate of national tourism agency VisitScotland, has been the lead organisation tasked with delivering Scotland’s Ryder Cup commitments since its inception in 2003.

Paul Bush, CEO at EventScotland, said: “Establishing the Ladies Scottish Open has without doubt been one of the key legacies from our staging of the 2014 Ryder Cup. Prior to 2007 there had never been a Scottish Ladies European Tour event and for a country known the world over as Scotland, the Home of Golf, this was undoubtedly a hole in our golf event portfolio.

“The recent announcement of a new date the week before the Women’s British Open and a significantly increased prize fund has now turned it into one of the biggest events on the Ladies European Tour.”

“Our ambition to create a Ladies Scottish Open was also matched by Aberdeen Asset Management and we have been delighted to work with them over the past seven years, including five as title sponsor, to invest in the Ladies Scottish Open and make it a mainstay of Scotland’s annual golf tournaments.

“The recent announcement of a new date the week before the Women’s British Open and a significantly increased prize fund has now turned it into one of the biggest events on the Ladies European Tour and we are delighted to have played our part in the development and evolution of the tournament.

“It is fitting that the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open is the final event to be played in Scotland before the Ryder Cup week gets underway with the Junior Ryder Cup at Blairgowrie and then the main event at Gleneagles.

“But The 2014 Ryder Cup is not the end of support for golf events in Scotland, it is merely a staging post along the way. With the future of the Ladies Scottish Open and many other golf events in Scotland secured for years to come we look forward to continuing to work with our partners to ensure Scotland remains not only the home of golf but the home of great golf events.”

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