The Scottish PGA Championship will break new ground this season when it is held at Scotscraig Golf Club for the first time in the event’s long and distinguished history.
The PGA in Scotland’s flagship tournament, won by Alastair Forsyth at West Kilbride in 2022, will be the centrepiece of an impressive Arnold Clark Tartan Tour schedule which tees-off in April and runs through until October.
Scotscraig, the 13th oldest club in the world and a former host to final qualifying for The Open, will provide an excellent examination when the domestic scene’s leading campaigners gather for the national championship in this great golfing heartland from August 29 to September 1.
The Scottish PGA Championship will be the penultimate counting event on the Arnold Clark Order of Merit, which went right to the wire last year and eventually saw Craig Lee pip Paul O’Hara to the No 1 position.
The 2023 Order of Merit will feature nine events with the Northern Open, one of Scotland’s oldest professional tournaments, returning to Moray Golf Club for the first time since 2017 after two successful years at Portlethen.
Greig Hutcheon (pictured), who won the title for the third time last season, will defend his crown from June 8-9 during a two-day shoot-out that once again will be part of The PGA’s Open Series. The Order of Merit will be complimented by 36-holers at Dundonald Links (April 10-11), Stirling Golf Club (May 10-11), Balmore Golf Club (May 31 – June 1), Strathmore Golf Centre (July 18-19) and Portlethen Golf Club (September 11-12) while the cherished Tartan Tour perennials of the Deer Park Masters (August 1-2) and the Kerr Investments Pro-Am (August 19-20 August) will, as ever, be eagerly anticipated.
As an added incentive for the players, the Arnold Clark Tour Championship, contested for the first time in 2022, will again be held at the end of the season. The top-10 players on the final Order of Merit will be invited to an 18-hole showdown over the King’s Course at Gleneagles on October 11 where a generous purse will be up for grabs. The Tour Championship remains a stand alone event and does not affect the Order of Merit.
Elsewhere on a robust programme, there will be three popular 54-hole Pro-Ams, namely the Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am (April 26-28), The Old Course Hotel Pro-Am (September 20-22) and The Highland Golf Links pro-am (2-4 October).
Other notable outings include the Glencruitten Pro-Am (July 28-29), which was held for the first time since 2013 last season and was headlined by local member and double DP World Tour champion, Robert MacIntyre (pictured). The Travelling the Fairways Pro-Am (June 26-27) will move to new venues at Elie Links and Crail Golfing Society while the long running Carnegie Invitational (September 5-6) remains a mainstay of the schedule.
With a raft of one-day Pro-Ams stretching the length and breadth of the country, from Portpatrick in the south west to Turriff in the north east, the 2023 Tartan Tour is set for another year of terrific competition.
On the Pro Scot Golf Tours Young Professionals’ Order of Merit, meanwhile, the Scottish Young Professionals’ Championship will move to Crieff after three years at Haddington. With a fine roll of honour that includes the 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie, the Youngs Pros’ Championship remains a much sought-after prize and Graeme Robertson will defend his title from July 3-5.
The enchanting Crieff Golf Club, nestling in the heart of Perthshire, has a strong affinity with The PGA. The late, great John Stark served as the club pro there for 35 years during a colourful and celebrated career which also included a stint as the captain of The PGA in Scotland while David Murchie, the current Crieff professional, was a past chairman of The PGA.
The Young Pros’ calendar will also feature the Sandy Pipey Young Masters at Royal Dornoch Golf Club from September 24-25 as well as a trio of 18-hole sprint events throughout the campaign.
After the tumult of the Covid pandemic, the Arnold Clark Tartan Tour has emerged with fresh purpose and David Longmuir, the manager of The PGA in Scotland, is relishing another year of top-level competition.
He said: “The 2022 season felt a bit more normal, following two years of unprecedented upheaval because of the COVID pandemic. We witnessed some exceptional golf throughout the season, and we are indebted to our partners, venue hosts and sponsors for all their support. Without you, our members would not have as many opportunities to compete and achieve their golfing ambitions. The team at the PGA in Scotland will continue to work to support our members and stakeholders in everything we do. We look forward to 2023 with great anticipation”.
David Cooper, of Order of Merit sponsors Arnold Clark, added: “We are delighted to continue our relationship with The PGA in Scotland and support the Tartan Tour. The 2022 season provided excellent golf and we particularly enjoyed the season ending Tour Championship event at Gleneagles which involved the top players from the season competing for a final prize. We look forward to seeing what 2023 brings and supporting the hard-working professionals of The PGA in Scotland.”
CLICK HERE to view the full PGA in Scotland schedule for 2023.
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