Double title sponsorship boost for 2020 Tartan Tour

Two big title sponsorships have been confirmed in the unveiling of the 2020 Tartan Tour schedule.

The Brewdog Northern Open will take place over the Old Course at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth on 3-5 June, with the prize fund set to be in the region of £25,000.

Paul Lawrie, who helped set up that deal through his Five Star Sports Agency, has confirmed his participation at a venue where Paul O'Hara stormed to a seven-shot success in 2017.

A strong field is also guaranteed for the Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship, which will take place on 1-4 September at a venue to be confirmed.

The flagship event's link up with Loch Lomond Whiskies is part of the Alexandria-based company, which has existing sponsorships with the R&A for both The Open and Women’s British Open, adding the PGA to its list of international partners in a three-year deal.

Shona Malcolm, The PGA’s Regional Manager for Scotland, said: “The schedule this year is aimed at delivering a variety of playing opportunities for all PGA Members in Scotland.

"The introduction of new sponsors for the top pro-only events is a welcome boost and will take the prize fund to over £400,000.

"In addition, the variety of pro-ams covering the length and breadth of the country will allow the top order of merit players and PGA Professionals from more local areas  to compete in the same events.”

O'Hara will be the defending champion in the Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship, having claimed the title for the first time after beating Alastair Forsyth in a play-off at Downfield last year.

The Brewdog Northern Open and Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship will both be counting events in the 2020 Order of Merit.

Also counting in that title race again will be the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open qualifier on 4-5 July at Longniddry, where four spots will be up for grabs in the event's second visit to The Renaissance Club.

Other Order of Merit events include two long-running tournaments - the Deer Park Masters on 4-5 August and the Kerr Investments Pro-Am at Dumfries & Galloway on 22-23 August.

Stirling and Balmore are both staging 36-hole Order of Merit Challenges, with additional 36-hole and one-day Sprint Series events, also on the Order of Merit schedule, to be added shortly.

Other notable events on the fixture list include the Highland Golf Links tournament sponsored by Tomatin, an established event at Castle Stuart, Nairn and Royal Dornoch, with the Aberdeen Golf Links tournament being held for the second year running at Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay and Trump International.

The Farmfoods Scottish Par 3 Championship, which takes place at Paul Lawrie Golf Centre on 8-9 June, is also on the schedule, as are around 20 one-day pro-ams, including new ones at Craigmillar Park and Cathcart Castle, as well as a Wick Invitational in celebration of the club’s 150th anniversary, and a Ladies' Pro Am at Irvine.

In addition, a small corporate pro-am, primarily for assistants, is to be held at Kings Golf Club in Inverness in May, with the organisers aiming to raise charitable funds for Oxygen Works.

An exciting 2020 campaign on Scottish soil also includes the PGA Professional Championship and WPGA Professional Championship at The Duke's in St Andrews in June, when Forsyth and Heather MacRae will be the respective defending champions.

For the 11th season in a row, the Scottish Young Professionals' Championship will be played at West Lothian on June 23-25.

Malcolm added: "The 2020 schedule is aimed at providing a modern, attractive, sustainable offering within a high quality delivery model and with equitable opportunities for all PGA Professionals and trainees to participate in PGA in Scotland events."

Main 2020 dates:

June 2-5 Brewdog Northern Open, Moray
June 8-9 Farmfoods Scottish Par 3 Championship, Paul Lawrie Golf Centre
June 16-19 PGA Professional Championship, The Duke's, St Andrews
June 18-19 Women's PGA Professional Championship, The Duke's, St Andrews
July 4-5 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open Qualifier, Longniddry
August 4-5 Deer Park Masters
Aug 22-23 Kerr Investments order of merit pro-am, Dumfries & Galloway
September 1-4 Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA Championship, TBC

36-Hole Challenge events:

April 22-23 Stirling
July 20-21 Balmore

Other main events:

April 29-May 1 Aberdeen Golf Links, Royal Aberdeen/Cruden Bay/Trump International Golf Links
June 23-25 Scottish Young Professionals' Championship, West Lothian
Sept 19-21 Sandy Pipey Young Masters
Oct 5-7 Highland Golf Links Pro-Am, Nairn/Royal Dornoch/Castle Stuart

• Categories:
• Scottish PGA Championship
• Scotland