Paul Lawrie unveils new tour event

• Scot unveils plans new for European Tour event
• Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay to be held at Murcar Links
• 64-man field will fight it out for €1m prize fund
• Event to be held from July 30 to August 2, 2015

Former Open champion and two-time Ryder Cup player Paul Lawrie has today unveiled details of a brand new European Tour event to take place from July 30 to August 2 next year at Murcar Links.

The Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay will feature a 64-man field, who will battle it out for a share of the €1m prize fund in a straight knock-out, matchplay contest.

Lawrie, whose finest hour came when he won the Open Championship at Carnoustie in 1999, also confirmed that the tournament would be guaranteed on the tour for the next three seasons, with the option to move it around his native North East after its debut at Murcar Links next summer something that is still under consideration.

“I’m delighted to be announcing this new tournament and it’s fantastic to be bringing another European Tour event to my home town of Aberdeen,” explained Lawrie. “Match play is a format that we don’t get to play too often out on tour, so it’s an exciting opportunity for an elite knockout tournament to come to Scotland.”

“This isn’t an ego thing for me. It’s just part of giving back.” – Paul Lawrie

Lawrie revealed that the seeds of the tournament were sewn during the hugely successful Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen last summer and he added that hosting his own European Tour event is something that he has been deliberating on for some time.

“I’ve often looked at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour and thought to myself how cool it would be to put my own name on an event,” said the 45-year-old. “But this isn’t an ego thing for me. It’s just part of giving back. I’ve been on tour a long time and it’s awesome to have this opportunity.”

“The Ryder Cup in Scotland demonstrated the appetite that Scottish golf fans have for matchplay golf.” – George O’Grady, European Tour chief executive

For Murcar Links, today’s announcement marks the first time that the popular course – sandwiched between Royal Aberdeen and Trump International Golf Links – will have been used to stage a European Tour event, although it did stage the inaugural Scottish Challenge on the Challenge Tour in 2006.

Assuming that the Johnnie Walker Championship does indeed return to the schedule, as was intimidated when it went on its hiatus last year to allow host venue Gleneagles to prepare for the Ryder Cup, Scotland is in line to stage at least five European Tour events next year: the Scottish Open (Gullane), the Open (St Andrews), Satire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay (Murcar Links), the Johnnie Walker Championship, and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

George O’Grady, the outgoing chief executive of the European Tour, commented: “The Ryder Cup in Scotland demonstrated the appetite that Scottish golf fans have for matchplay golf, so we must thank Paul, along with Satire Energy and 4Sports for helping this tournament to become a part of the European Tour International Schedule.”

Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay

The 2015 Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay will take place at Murcar Links, on the outskirts of Aberdeen, from July 30 to August 2. For more information, log-on to europeantour.com

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor