Louise Duncan set for pro debut in Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open

Louise Duncan, who thrilled the home crowd when recording a top-10 finish as an amateur in last year’s AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie, has turned professional.

The 22-year-old from West Kilbride will make her first appearance in the paid ranks in next week’s Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, having secured an invitation for the event at Dundonald Links from VisitScotland.

She will also now be teeing up in the following week’s AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield, where she is on the exempt list on the strength of last year’s eye-catching effort, as a professional rather than an amateur.

“I had a geat opportunity coming up at the AIG Women’s Open through getting an automatic place from last year and I’d been thinking about it long and hard,” said Duncan, the 2021 R&A Women’s Amateur champion, of her switch.

Louise Duncan will be making her professional debut in the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open at Dumbarnie Links in Ayrshire.

“Then I got the opportunity of an invite for the Women’s Scottish Open as well and it kind of all fell into place. I think I would have been stupid not to take the opprtunity.

“It’s been a full-circle moment as I played in the Women’s Scottish Open pro-am last year at Dumbarnie with Emily Kristine Pedersen along with a couple of the other Scottish amateurs. So to be at Dundonald next week to play in the main event is going to be really special and it is seriously exciting.”

Referring to her win in the Women’s Amateur coming at Kilmarnock (Barassie), she added: “I’ve got some great memories down here. I’m sure I’ll have some great support next week and it’s just going to be a nice tournament to start my pro career.”

In another exciting development, Duncan has signed for Bounce Sport Management, joining DP World Tour players Stephen Gallacher, Bob MacIntyre, Grant Forrest and Calum Hill on the Edinburgh-based company’s player list.

“It’s going to be a big help going forward,” she said of that. “They’ve got some great players on their roster, so to be involved with them is an honour and I can’t wait to get started.”

Iain Stoddart, Bounce Sport’s founding partner, described Duncan as a “very exciting talent” and added: “Her success as an amateur fits in superbly alongside all of the other players we work with.”

Duncan, who blossomed in the amateur ranks during a spell at the University of Stirling, played in two Curtis Cups in the space of a year and also created history in April along with Hannah Darling as the first Scots to compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Hannah McCook, who has been in good form lately on the LET Access Series, has secured the other VisitScotland spot, with her invitation having deferred from the 2020, when the Grantown-on-Spey woman was unable to participate due to hip surgery.

Referring to Duncan, VisitScotland’s senior golf manager Alan Grant said: “We look forward to following her steps into the professional game.

“If you look at the women’s game in Scotland at the moment, I think there’s a real buzz about the talent coming through and Louise is certainly one of those individuals that people are excited about.”