Scottish Open finds new home at Castle Stuart

New Highland links to stage prestigious European Tour event

Castle Stuart Golf Links will become the European Tour’s newest tournament venue in July when the Scottish Open visits the Highlands.

It will become the seventh Scottish course to play host to the tournament, which has become one of the tour’s most lucrative.

The prize fund for the 2011 Barclays Scottish Open remains at £3million, with £500,000 for the winner.

The switch comes after tournament sponsors Barclays made it clear they wanted to move from former venue Loch Lomond to a links course.

Castle Stuart and the Renaissance Club were immediately suggested as possible candidates before the East Lothian venue was ruled out last month.

European Tour chief executive George O’Grady said: “It is always exciting to break new ground and everyone at the European Tour is delighted to be staging one of the most prestigious events at a new venue which has been so widely acclaimed.

“Our members already enjoy competing at Kingsbarns on the European Tour International Schedule and I am sure they will eagerly anticipate testing their skills against the Mark Parsinen-designed course at Castle Stuart.

“Loch Lomond were extremely courteous and supportive during our negotiations to move forward with the championship and we will all take away some wonderful memories of our time there and we wish them well in the future.”

Course co-designer Mark Parsinen, who worked with American architect Gil Hanse to create the highly acclaimed Castle Stuart layout, added: “I fell in love with links golf in the British Isles 40 years ago and have spent the past 15 honing certain links sensibilities, firstly with the crafting of Kingsbarns in St Andrews and now with Castle Stuart in the Highlands.

“All of us involved with Castle Stuart know what a privilege it is to host the Barclays Scottish Open as the first stop in a two-week celebration of links golf in the British Isles.”

Already lined up for the relocated event, which will be held from July 7-10, are Graeme McDowell, Phil Mickelson and defending champion Edoardo Molinari, as well as Padraig Harrington, who had previously chosen to play the Irish PGA Championship to hone his links game immediately prior to the Open.

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