Open venues and Scottish Open courses on 2021 Tartan Pro Tour schedule

Paul Lawrie’s Tartan Pro Tour is set to visit Open Championship venues and Scottish Open courses this year as part of an exciting second schedule for the circuit.

Paul Lawrie, the Tartan Pro Tour's founder, with Neil Fenwick, who went on to top the 2020 order of merit, after winning at Pollok. Picture: Tartan Pro Tour

A 2021 calendar comprising 12 events – double last year’s number – has been unveiled by Lawrie, who has secured Farmfoods as the Scottish-based tour’s title sponsor.

The new campaign includes a match-play event that will be played throughout the year, with the final taking place at Muirfield on 30 September.

The main provision, though, for home-based Scottish pros and leading amateurs will again be a strong series of 36-hole stroke-play events.

They will get underway at Montrose Links on 15-16 April, quickly followed by visits to Kilmarnock (Barassie) and Royal Dornoch on 19-20 April and 26-27 April respectively.

A return to Pollok is on the cards on 18-19 May, with a summer event taking place at Paul Lawrie Golf Centre on 14-15 July.

September sees tournaments at St Andrews (14-15) and Blairgowrie (28-29) ahead of that match-play title decider in East Lothian.

Leven is then set to start a strong finish to the campaign on 7-8 October before the circuit heads to The Renaissance Club, which is staging the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open for the third time this year, on 11-12 October.

Royal Aberdeen, where Justin Rose won the Scottish Open in 2014, then stages the penultimate event on 13-14 October before the Tour Championship takes place at Carnoustie on 18-19 October.

Last year, Carnoustie staged the circuit’s launch event as Lawrie came up with his plan to provide home-based players with competitive opportunities after circuits around Europe had been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Angus venue, of course, is where Lawrie lifted the Claret Jug in 1999 and the Aberdonian now represents Carnoustie Links as their touring professional.

“We are delighted to have Farmfoods on board as our title sponsor for 2021,” said Lawrie, the tour’s commissioner. “Farmfoods are a massive supporter of the sport and this will help benefit many of the country’s top talents.

“I’m really excited to see it grow from six to 12 events thanks both to our sponsors and our host venues. The idea was to play on some of the country’s top courses, which we’re very fortunate to be able to do.”

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