I hope the golfers will be more responsible than the footballers, says Martin Gilbert

Outgoing chairman of Aberdeen Standard Investments expects world’s top golfers to adhere to Covid-19 protocols

Martin Gilbert says this year's Ladies Scottish Open has its strongest field. Picture: SNS

Martin Gilbert, the outgoing chairman of Aberdeen Standard Investments, is confident some of the world’s top women golfers will be “more responsible than footballers” in adhering to Covid-19 protocols in Scotland.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has shown Scottish football a yellow card after eight Aberdeen players and Celtic’s Boli Bolingoli broke quarantine rules since the start of the SPL less than a fortnight ago.

Upcoming games involving both Aberdeen and Celtic have been postponed, putting sport in the spotlight as this week’s ASI Ladies Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club marks the return of world-class action to Scotland.

“I think it will definitely reinforce the message that we’re getting,” said Gilbert, a former Aberdeen FC director, of the First Minister clamping down hard following recent events in the football world. “Every day there’s another e-mail that comes through about what you can and can’t do.

“So I’m hoping the golfers will be more responsible than the footballers. Let’s hope so. And I suspect they will. I really don’t foresee it being a problem, but let’s hope so.”

Gilbert, who has joined the European Tour board as a non-executive director, is stepping down as ASI chairman soon after this week’s event.

“It’s important for golf,” he said of the tournament marking the return of the women’s game at the top level in Europe. “This is the strongest field I think we’ve had. It’s great to see it going from strength-to-strength, even in a year like this.”