Why Scots are facing bigger challenge on 2025 Tartan Pro Tour

It may have been created to provide playing opportunities for Scottish-based professionals and, in fairness, that essentially remains the main goal for Paul Lawrie and his team.

But both the success and growth of the Tartan Pro Tour is there for all to see as the circuit heads into its sixth season, which starts on Wednesday with the Montrose Links Masters presented by Montrose Port Authority.

Having initially been 72 when the circuit was launched by the 1999 Open champion during the Covid pandemic, the fields for this year are now up to a maximum of 99 players.

Graeme Robertson and Same Locke secured cards for the Challenge Tour, which has since been rebranded as the Hotel Planner Tour, through being the top two players on last year’s Tartan Pro Tour Order of Merit | Tartan Pro Tour

For the season-opener on the Angus coast, more than 30 are flying the English flag while the line up also includes players from Ireland and Wales, as well as Canada, Korea, New Zealand and the US.

“There’s definitely been an upsurge in interest from players from further afield,” admitted Michael MacDougall, the circuit’s tournament director, who has worked closely with Lawrie on a number of exciting new projects and initiatives.

That, of course, partly stems from the fact that the Tartan Pro Tour is now an official Satellite Tour, having been upgraded for this year from a Feeder Tour, for the Hotel Planner Tour, which will be better known by many as the Challenge Tour.

It means that any player who wins three times on the Tartan Pro Tour in the same season will secure automatic promotion to the Hotel Planner Tour and, if that had been in place last year, Sam Locke would have earned a step up before securing one of two 2025 cards up for grabs through the season-long Order of Merit along with Graeme Robertson.

Another collection of top courses on schedule

“The fact we’re now a Satellite Tour plus the incentives around the Hotel Planner Tour, including the chance to secure direct access to the second stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School, and prize funds of circa £27,500 has definitely generated more hype for this season, which is great,” added MacDougall.

Players will once again be competing on a collection of top courses, with events also taking place at Blairgowrie, Portlethen, Newmachar, Cardrona, Downfield, Leven Links, Musselburgh, Spey Valley, St Andrews, Gleneagles, Duddingston and Trump International Golf Links.

Equally impressive once again is the backing secured by Lawrie through his Five Star Sports Agency from Montrose Port Authority, Petrasco, Entier, Boskalis, Martin Gilbert, Piper Sandler, The MacKay Clinic, Alistair Brown International, Fugro, Insights, Barr Demolition and Gym Rental Company. In addition, both the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre and Paul Lawrie Foundation put money into the circuit.

Nick McCarthy, winner of the recent Farmfoods Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am, is part of a strong English contingent in the Tartan Pro Tour season-opener at Montrose this week | Tartan Pro Tour

Robertson, last year’s Order of Merit winner and coming off a top-20 finish in the Challenge de España in just his third start as a Hotel Planner Tour card holder, heads the strong field at Montrose.

“The Hotel Planner Tour has been pretty much as I expected, to be honest,” said Robertson. “The standard of golf is really high.

“Before the season started, I tried to speak to as many guys as I could about life on the tour. Scott Henry had a good few words of advice about how it’s okay and normal to miss cuts out here because the level is so high. But remember that you will have your good weeks and your good golf will get you positive results.

“I personally found it tough starting in the UAE events as it was my first two starts of the year whereas it was the seventh and eighth for a lot of guys. The game just didn’t feel quite sharp enough yet for those events.

“I was delighted to get a good result in Spain and put four good rounds together. I’ll be honest, I’ve felt a lot of pressure playing these first few events. I’ve found it tough knowing that if I miss the cut then I won’t earn any money, especially with the costs involved with playing on the Hotel Planner Tour.

“I felt like I sort of got the monkey off my back a little bit with my result in Spain and, hopefully, I can use that result to get the season going.

“I’m going to play the odd Tartan Pro Tour event and PGA in Scotland event when I’m home. I’ve discovered I play my best when I play a lot so when I’m home and taking a break from travelling I’ll make sure I’ve got something to play in here to keep the game sharp. That's the thinking behind playing Montrose this week.”

His rivals include Englishman Nick McCarthy, who produced an impressive performance to land the recent Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am at Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay and Trump International Golf Links, as well as Calum Fyfe, who has made four cuts in his six starts on the Hotel Planner Tour this season.

Among those bidding to add to previous wins on the circuit are Greg Dalziel, Darren Howie, Bradley Neil, Seb Sandelin, John Henry and Rory Franssen while James Morgan and Matthew Wilson are both teeing up as rookie professionals after leaving the amateur ranks at the end of last season.

Cruden Bay’s Koby Buchan, a member of the Paul Lawrie Academy programme, is playing as an amateur after arriving home for the summer at the end of the US college season.