Big Johnson's Tour winner to get Tour School expenses paid this year

Players competing on this season’s Big Johnson’s Tour, which has been providing playing opportunities for Scottish-based professionals since 2016, have been handed an added incentive to top its order of merit.

John Henry set up the Big Johnson's Tour in 2016 to provide playing opportunities for Scottish-based professionals.

That’s because the player who is in that position after six two-day events will have their Tour School expenses later this year paid by a kind sponsor secured by John Henry, the circuit’s founder.

“That will be up to £2,000 for anyone who is not already exempt, whether it’s the Ladies European Tour, DP World Tour or Legends Tour,” said Henry, who, hence the circuit being eponymously named, is called ‘Big Johnson’ by his brother and fellow professional, Scott.

The opening three events on this season’s circuit all produced good scoring, as has been the case as well on the Tartan Pro Tour, Tartan Tour and Alan Tait’s Get Back To Golf Tour over the past few weeks.

Henry shot rounds of 66-70 for a four-under-par total at Deeside to share top spot with recent Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am winner Sean Lawrie (67-69) and Calum Fyfe (70-66).

Challenge Tour player Daniel Young then shot 68-67 over the Jubilee and Castle Courses at St Andrews for an eight-under aggregate, winning by two from Fyfe (67-70), with Danny Kay (70-68) a shot further back in third.

It was close but no cigar once again for Fyfe after signing for rounds of 71-70 at The Roxburghe, where he was pipped on this occasion by Jamie Savage (72-68).

The next event is at The Carrick on Loch Lomond on 6-7 June, followed by a visit to Bruntsfield Links the following week before the season concludes at Hilton Park in August.

“We have fortunately got a fantastic sponsor on board for the year who, in addition to paying the order of merit winner’s Tour School entry fee, is also topping up each prize fund by £400,” said Henry.

Meanwhile, Savage and Kay are both in action on the Challenge Tour this week, having secured spots in the D+D Real Czech Challenge, with Fyfe, who played in last week’s event in Denmark on the second-tier circuit, also close to getting in off the reserve list.