Host pro looks to set the pace at Blairgowrie
30/07/2014
Sam McLaren is raring to go on his debut in The PGA’s flagship event, the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship.
McLaren, 24, will represent host club Blairgowrie in the £78,700 final at the Perthshire venue on August 5-8.
The former Scottish Boys champion has had an inconsistent career since turning pro in 2009, but he has started to find form in the run-up to the event, including a promising third place finish in the Scottish Young Professionals’ Championship.
The winner of the showpiece event will secure a lion’s share of the prize fund, the use of a car from support-sponsors Peugeot for 12 months and a place in the Titleist PGA Play-Offs.
The championship also marks the start of the qualification period for the 2015 PGA Cup, a biennial matchplay event competed for between leading PGA Professionals from Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America.
And McLaren admitted that, as host professional, the pressure will be on in the August showpiece.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he enthused. “I’m trying not to feel the pressure too much but it will obviously be there on the day.
“A lot of the volunteers at the course will be members of the club, so you know they’ll be out there taking a keen interest in your score.
“The club itself has been absolutely electric this summer, everyone is really excited about the events that we’re hosting here.
“And we’ve got a lot to be proud of here – we have three fantastic courses and the Lansdowne Course (which is staging the tournament) will present a really good test for the pros coming here.
“But if you can plot your way round you will get chances, so hopefully that will make for some good scores.”
Matthew Eagle, UK and Eire Sales Director at Glenmuir, said: “We are delighted to be once again sponsoring the
Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship, recognised and respected as the flagship event for PGA Professionals in Great Britain and Ireland.
“The qualifier venues were of outstanding quality this year as was the standard of golf played throughout, with the magnificent Blairgowrie Golf Club offering a fine venue for this year’s final on the 5th–8th August, which is sure to be as intriguing as ever.
“Our longstanding commitment to the PGA Professional is something very dear to our hearts alongside the game of golf at grass roots level. We hope that these relationships will carry forward for many years to come.
“We look forward to another exciting tournament, and wish all the competitors the best of luck ahead of the event.”
Other players from Scotland competing in the final include: Graham Fox (Clydeway) Former champion Gordon Law (Uphall), Fraser Mann (Carnoustie), Alastair Webster (Edzell) and Garry Forrester (St Andrews).
