Royal Troon treat awaits winner of Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open

Defending champion Jasmine Mackintosh heads Scottish contingent in Ayrshire event

Lottie Woad did it at Augusta National and now a similar treat awaits for someone at Royal Troon this weekend, when the winner of the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open will make the same walk up the 18th hole as a men’s major winner in 2024.

As with the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, won, of course, by English player Woad less than a fortnight ago, the Scottish Golf event is split over two courses, starting with 36 holes on Troon Portland before the action switches to Royal Troon on Sunday for the third and final round.

It’s always a treat for players to tackle one of the best courses in Scotland but even more so when the grandstands are starting to go up, as is the case for the 152nd Open in July, and they stand on the tee at the Postage Stamp knowing the eyes of the golfing world will be on it later in the year.

Murcar Links member Jasmine Mackintosh hits a drive during last year's Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open at Troon. Picture: Scottish Golf

The event has produced some outstanding winners over the years, including a three-time champion in Belle Robertson. Catriona Matthew also got her hands on the trophy, as did Melissa Reid (twice), Leona Maguire and Linn Grant. In case you’ve not made the connection, they all went on to become Solheim Cup players.

Ten nations are represented in the 118-strong field for this year’s event, which sees Scot Jasmine Macintosh bid to become just the third player after Muriel Thomson (1975 and 1976) and Reid (2006 and 2007) to claim the coveted title back-to-back after her play-off win over compatriot Lorna McClymont 12 months ago.

“I’m looking forward to playing again in the Helen Holm after last year’s experience,” said the 24-year-old Murcar Links player. “It was really special to win at a venue I love playing at and great to do it on what was the 50th anniversary of the championship. “I had a poor second round (a 77 after opening with a 69) last year to slip back and so, on the final day, I was able to play with a bit more freedom. I stuck to my process, didn’t worry about what anyone else was doing and was much stronger mentally.”

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While top-ranked Scot Hannah Darling is an absentee due to her college schedule in the US and Bahamas-based Grace Crawford, the 2022 winner, isn’t in the field either on this occasion, hopes are high for a third consecutive triumph by a home player. On the back of another strong performance in The R&A Student Tour Series, the ever-improving McClymont will quietly fancy her chances of going one better while Jennifer Saxton showed what she was capable of on links courses when winning the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews two years ago. Royal Troon member Freya Russell, meanwhile, will be aiming to make home-course advantage count.

The English challengers include Chloe Tarbard and Nellie Ong, who finished first and second respectively in last week’s Scottish Girls’ Open at Powfoot, while Kate Lanigan, Jessica Ross, Annabel Wilson, Mairead Martin, Clodagh Coughlan and Emma O’Driscoll will all be aiming to add to three Irish triumphs since 2009.

As well as Welsh representation, competitors from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Malta, Sweden and the US – Curtis Cup captain Meghan Stasi is flying the Stars and Stripes – are heading into battle over the next three days on the Ayrshire coast, where the excitement is already starting to build for that Claret Jug joust later in the year.