Ladies Scottish Open ‘can play role in nation’s cultural and social recovery’

International sport returns to Scotland

Scotland's Michele Thomson practises at the Renaissance Club near North Berwick ahead of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. Picture: Tristan Jones

This week’s return of international sport in Scotland with the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian has been hailed as an important part of the country’s “cultural and social recovery” during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event, which is part of a Scottish Swing on the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour along with next week’s AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon, will put the home of golf in the spotlight for the first time since last September’s Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.

It is taking place at a time when Scottish courses are not seeing their normal flow of foreign golfers due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus, with VisitScotland hoping the sight of some of the world’s top women professionals in action on both sides of the country over the next two weeks will send out a positive message around the world.

“I think it’s great to see the return of not only women’s golf but international women’s sport to Scotland and the UK this week and we are very proud of the role that Scotland has played in this,” said Alan Grant, VisitScotland’s senior golf manager, in the build-up to this week’s event, which features three of the world’s top 10.

“Having been involved in this event since its return to the schedule in 2006, VisitScotland and the Scottish government have given extraordinary support to the Ladies Scottish Open. I don’t think there’s another country in the world that gives so much support to women’s golf, and it’s something that we are very proud of.

“This year, that support has really come to the fore, and with the new landscape that we are all having to deal with, it’s fair to say that our support and that of the Scottish government’s medical advisor, working alongside Dr Andrew Murray and IMG in delivering the plan that’s in place this week, has ensured that the event can go ahead with the confidence of everybody amid this 
pandemic.

“I was down at Renaissance last week and, having seen the amount of measures in place, it’s incredible the amount of work that’s gone into making this event happen, and hopefully we get a great championship at the end of it.

“Tourism and welcoming people to this country is something that we are focused on in VisitScotland and it’s important that Scotland remains on TV screens around the globe and in front of mind of potential visitors in the future. But our focus is that this event can go ahead and helps to signify part of our cultural and social recovery in Scotland.”

The event, won last year by Mi Jung Hur, pictured inset, is being played behind closed doors, with only players, caddies and support staff in attendance. The East Lothian venue is also a media-free zone in order to try and keep the numbers to a minimum.

“These are challenging times and we were under some pressure internally,” said Jill Maxwell, Aberdeen Standard Investments’ global head of brand activation, of the decision to press ahead with both this event and the men’s Scottish Open in a new slot in October at the same venue. “But the relationship that we have with the Scottish government and VisitScotland and just really our commitment to this event – this is the 11th year that we’ve sponsored it, which for a sponsorship is a really long time – we just wanted to help give that kind of vital boost to Scotland’s events sector.

“We also really wanted to give something back to the community and the charities that are situated here. So our official tournament charity here is East Lothian Food Bank. That was something that was really important to us. Delivering this event safely was everyone’s No 1 priority and, when you go up to the Renaissance, it’s going to be difficult for the players to get close to each other because IMG have done a tremendous job with the set-up of the tournament.

“Outdoor dining, which should be quite interesting with the weather this week, under canopies and two players per table. Inside if it is raining, there are no chairs at any tables. So we are not encouraging anyone to hang around and a lot of thought has gone into this.”

This week’s tournament carries a $1.5 million prize fund, with $4.5 million up for grabs in the Women’s Open in Ayrshire. “A lot of these players haven’t been able to earn a wage for the past four or five months,” added Maxwell of the welcome opportunities now being provided.

“There’s a real kind of scale on the LET and the LPGA of some players who financially it probably hasn’t really impacted them. But, for some, they have no option but to adhere to all of these safety measures because they need to play this week.”