Lawrie targets Scottish PGA treble

Paul Lawrie will bid to win a third Scottish PGA Championship over a 23-year span when he tees it up over the King's Course in the Gleneagles Hotel-sponsored £40,000 72-hole stroke-play tournament which starts on Sunday and offers a £6,000 first prize.

He won the title for the first time at Cardross in 1992, which was his first year on the European Tour and also the year he won the European Under-25s championship.

Lawrie won his second title at Gleneagles in 2005.

Lawrie, who is 26th on the European Tour's career money list, is relishing the opportunity to tee it up on the Tartan Tour.

"I don't need to play in it but I learned my trade on the Tartan Tour and when I have the chance to play in events on the domestic tour, then I feel should as a kind of payback for all it taught me,” he said.

"I haven't played in the Scottish PGA Championship for a while but I'm really looking forward to it.

“It'll be good to catch up with guys I played with years ago."

Having an Open champion in the field is always good for the image and The PGA in Scotland are eternally grateful for what Lawrie has done and is doing for the game north of the Border - even south of the border later this year with the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay at Murcar Links and the Europro Tour event at Newmachar.

Lawrie clinched the second of his two Ryder Cup honours by winning the Johnnie Walker Championship, a European Tour event, over the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles in 2012.

Brian Mair, secretary of the PGA in Scotland, added: “It is testament to the stature of the venue that we have attracted such a strong field. To have the likes of Paul teeing up is a great fillip for the Tartan Tour and our flagship event and typifies Paul’s support of golf in Scotland.”

Lawrie will tee off at Gleneagles on Sunday at 10am with Gavin Hay (Nairn Dunbar) and Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) as partners.

Their Monday tee time is 2pm but Paul will be under no illusions that he has only to turn up to win.

With Greig Hutcheon (winner in 1999 and again in 2013), Graeme Fox (the

2012 winner) and defending champion Gareth Wright, to name but three of the leading Tartan Tour players, in the field, Lawrie will have to play well to finish ahead of them.