'Man, it's really kicking on' says Paul Lawrie of his Tartan Pro Tour

Even for someone with Paul Lawrie’s rich experience in golf, it was a daunting prospect. In the height of the Covid pandemic, the 1999 Open champion and two-time Ryder Cup player came up with an idea that started as a blank sheet of paper.

Paul Lawrie has been delighted to see the Tartan Pro Tour go from strength to strength since the circuit was launched during the Covid pandemic to provide playing opportunities for Scottish-based professionals. Picture: Tartan Pro Tour

At a time when Scottish-based professionals below DP World Tour level couldn’t compete on the Challenge Tour, PGA EuroPro Tour and other third-tier circuits around Europe, Lawrie wanted to try and give them playing opportunities on home soil.

Yet again demonstrating his commitment to all levels of the game in Scotland, the Aberdonian duly launched the Tartan Pro Tour, which, in 2020, comprised a series of six 36-hole events over two months at some of the most prominent courses in the country.

Covid restrictions hadn’t been fully lifted when the circuit staged its launch event at Carnoustie but, at the venue where Lawrie got his hands on the Claret Jug, a field of 72 pros, men and women, competed for a prize fund of £19,000 with a £4,000 first prize.

Five Star Sports Agency, Paul Lawrie's company, run the Tartan Pro Tour events, with the first of 13 in 2023 taking place next week at Kilmarnock (Barassie). Picture: Tartan Pro Tour.

On the back of those six tournaments being deemed a resounding success, the circuit grew to 12 events in 2021 and was then up to 13 tournaments. It’s the same number this year, but, boy, has Lawrie’s bid to help out fellow Scottish players turned into something very exciting indeed in 2023.

The Farmfoods Tartan Pro Tour is now an ‘official feeder tour’ to the Challenge Tour, joining, in tandem with the English-based Clutch Tour, the Alps Tour, Pro Golf Tour and Nordic Golf League in providing a pathway on to the DP World Tour’s development circuit.

Tartan Tour Pro events, the first of which starts at Kilmarnock (Barassie) on Monday, have all been upped to 54 holes with prize funds of approximately £25,000, with the winner of the season-long Order of Merit securing a Challenge Tour card for the 2024 campaign.

“Man, it is really kicking on,” Lawrie, who runs the circuit through his Five Star Sports Agency, told Scotland on Sunday. “We sat down with a blank piece of paper when we started. We didn’t have anything at the start. We had to do regulations, we had to organise categories, we had to organise all sorts of things from nothing.

Farmfoods, one of Paul Lawrie's loyal backers, is the title sponsor of the Scottish-based circuit. Picture: Tartan Pro Tour

“To have started from scratch three years ago and have six events the first year then 12 then 13 and, all of a sudden, you’ve got a spot for your Order of Merit winner straight onto the Challenge Tour, it’s amazing and also very satisfying. It’s just magic to see how it’s done.”

Delivered by a team led by former PGA in Scotland secretary Michael MacDougall and also including Reece Mitchell and Lawrie’s eldest son, Craig, the circuit will also visit Montrose Links, Fairmont St Andrews, Pollok, Dundonald Links, Downfield, Cardrona, Leven Links, Blairgowrie, Ladybank, St Andrews and Gleneagles over the next five months. “Obviously there’s a lot of people involved and everyone just mucks in and gets the job done,” said Lawrie, who is included in that himself.

The opportunity for both the Tartan Pro Tour and Clutch Pro Tour to secure ‘feeder’ status came about when the PGA EuroPro Tour was disbanded at the end of last season after being in existence for more than 20 years. Michael Stewart was among the final group of players to secure a step up to the Challenge Tour from that circuit and now Lawrie is pleased that a new avenue has opened up for up-and-coming Scottish professionals.

“I’ve been chatting to the DP World Tour for a while about it and obviously trying to get a progression from our tour onto the Challenge Tour and we eventually managed to get the one spot from the Order of Merit, which will be reviewed at the end of the year. So we are hopefully looking at getting more than one for the following year - that would be the idea.

The R&A supports the Tartan Pro Tour, which will see the Order of Merit winner at the end of 13 events over 54 holes secure a card for the 2024 Challenge Tour. Picture: Tartan Pro Tour

“There were a few things we had to do, including having to go to 54 holes and we also had to have a cut. We were happy to do whatever we had to so that we could get somebody progressing from the Tartan Pro Tour with a full exemption. It’s only our fourth year, but it’s just come on leaps and bounds and it’s great to see. We are all sold out. Every event has a title sponsor this year. We’ve got R&A support again and also have Farmfoods as the title sponsor again.”

Jack McDonald, last year’s Order of Merit winner and starting the new campaign at his home club, heads the field at Kilmarnock (Barassie), where his rivals will include current Challenge Tour category holders Daniel Young, Calum Fyfe and Craig Ross. Others teeing up at the Ayrshire venue include recent PGA Play-Offs winner Craig Lee, as well as Bradley Neil, Kieran Cantley, Sam Locke, Graeme Robertson. Sam Westwood, Lee’s son is also teeing up, as are Hazel Macgarvie, Chloe Goadby and Clara Young

“Since the launch of the Tartan Pro Tour in 2020, Paul and his team have done an amazing job in terms of growing that tour,” said Jamie Hodges, Head of the Challenge Tour. “They play on some of the best courses in Scotland and it felt really very natural that, as a reward for their hard work and the quality of the tour that they were delivering for the Scottish players, a spot would become available on the 2024 Challenge Tour season for the leading player on the 2023 Tartan Pro Tour.

“With his links and status, Paul has been able to secure 13 of the very best courses in Scotland. That’s important as it will also ensure the best players come out on top, not just week-to-week but across the course of the season and that’s ultimately what we want as we want the best talent feeding into the Challenge Tour.”

By topping the 2020 Tartan Pro Tour Order of Merit, Neil Fenwick secured a number of Challenge Tour starts the following season. Along with his fellow Scots, he’s spent a lot of time over the past few years driving down and up the M6 chasing his dream in PGA EuroPro Tour events but not any more.

“I’m really looking forward to not having to travel the length of the country as, in the latter years of the PGA EuroPro Tour, it was all south of Birmingham, making the expenses in the region of £800-£1,000 per week for us Scottish guys,” said Fenwick. “Paul keeping the entry fee at £200 is huge making it an affordable tour on fantastic courses.

“And, for me personally it’s going to be great to spend more time with my family and even have them come to some events as they are far more accessible etc. It’s a fantastic schedule Paul has put together again this year with top venues and Mikey always sets them up properly like a tour event, giving us the best prep to hopefully move on.”

And, by getting onto the Challenge Tour, players will then have the chance, of course, to follow in the recent footsteps of David Law, Ewen Ferguson, Bob MacIntyre, Grant Forrest, Calum Hill, Connor Syme and Craig Howie by then securing a step up to the DP World Tour.

“I am convinced that, with the Tartan Pro Tour and Farmfoods Scottish Challenge back on the schedule - again Paul and his team should be commended for the work they have done with the relaunch of it after a brief hiatus - on the back of the great crop of Scottish players who came though the Challenge Tour and are now on the DP World Tour, a new group of players will be coming through very shortly,” predicted Hodges.