Paul Lawrie tells Scots to test themselves in Aviemore

PAUL Lawrie has urged the home-based golfers set to tee up in next month's Scottish Hydro Challenge to use the event at Macdonald Spey Valley in Aviemore as a perfect gauge of the level they need to reach in order to step up to the main European circuit.

While the 1999 Open champion is unable to play in the 200,000 event himself due to a clash with the re-arranged Estoril Open de Portugal, he will be keeping a close eye on it to see if the Scottish players can emulate the success of last year.

Then, Jamie McLeary held off the challenge of Italian Edoardo Molinari, now in the top 50 in the world, to lift the 32,000 top prize, while Peter Whiteford (third) and Scott Jamieson (tied sixth) also secured top-ten finishes.

"To have a Challenge Tour event in Scotland, featuring some of the best young players in Europe, gives our home players the chance to gauge their abilities against the kind of competition that they should expect to come up against throughout a career at the top level," said Lawrie.

"The Scottish Hydro Challenge is a step-up from any regional or national tournaments that the majority of our young pros compete in. The players who have the chance to play at Spey Valley will find themselves surrounded by guys from around Europe and the rest of the world who are hugely talented and desperately hungry for success.

"To give our players a sense of that environment can only improve standards in Scotland and help us get more players competing at the highest level."

McLeary, who will be back at Aviemore on 10-13 June to defend his title, added: "Winning last season did wonders for my confidence and gave me the belief that I can get on to the European Tour and compete there."