Paul Lawrie and Carly Booth backing new mixed event at Gleneagles

The new event in August will see male and female professionals playing together for equal prize-money. File picture: Ian Rutherford

The new mixed team event in August will see male and female professionals playing together for equal prize-money.

Backed by both the European Tour and Ladies European Tour, it is part of the innovative multi-sport Glasgow 2018 European Championships.

“I am delighted to become an ambassador for Glasgow 2018 and to support the first ever European Golf Team Championships,” said Lawrie, Lawrie, a huge advocate of golf development and participation through his Paul Lawrie Foundation.

“It is a hugely innovative and exciting format and will provide an historic moment for equality in sport with men and women competing together in the mixed team event.”

The Aberdonian, who won the Johnnie Walker Championship at the Perthshire venue in 2012, added: “With golf returning to the Olympics in 2016 and again in 2020, this is yet another chance for the game to achieve greater profile as part of a multi-sport environment.

“I am definitely in favour of anything that can help to further develop golf both in Scotland and worldwide.”

The new format will feature a 50/50 gender split in the field with male and female professionals competing for equal prize money in both a men’s and women’s team match-play event as well as an 18-hole foursomes stroke-play mixed team championship.

“The European Golf Team Championships will be a great moment for women’s golf competing side-by-side with men on an equal footing,” said Booth, a two-time LET winner who grew up just 15 miles from Gleneagles.

“I am thrilled to become an ambassador for Glasgow 2018 and to support an event which will do so much to raise the profile of the Ladies European Tour and women’s golf in general.

“I am delighted that this is taking place at Gleneagles because it is such a special place and will be a fitting venue for such a historic event.”

The pair join the likes of double Olympic gold medallist gymnast Max Whitlock and Commonwealth Games swimming gold medallist Ross Murdoch as ambassadors for their respective sports.

Lawrie, who is attached to Gleneagles, added: “As a golfer, any time you get the opportunity to represent your country in a team format is special but to be able to do it in such an historic event alongside our female compatriots would be a proud moment.

“I’ll be encouraging my fellow players on the European Tour to be part of history at Gleneagles.”

The event takes place on 8-12 August and tickets are now on sale, with adult prices from £10 for practice days and £15 on competition days. Children under the age of 16 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.