Mallets help hammer home important role of Scottish Challenge but did amateurs make right call?

Since being resurrected in 2022 by Paul Lawrie, it has been run by his 5 Star Sports Agency on what is now called the HotelPlanner Tour and what a terrific job a team led by Michael MacDougall along with Craig Lawrie and Reece Mitchell did once again last week at Schloss Roxburghe in Heiton, near Kelso.

Lots of work goes into running top golf events and I was certainly reminded about that as I came across MacDougall, a former PGA in Scotland man, and Mitchell with mallets at the ready as they erected sponsors’ boards on the road from the main entrance at the beautiful Borders venue.

Yes, of course, it something that happens at lots of tournaments, but it should never be taken for granted and especially so on a circuit like the HotelPlanner Tour, which plays a pivotal part in the development of young European golfers in particular but also South Africans, Australians, Kiwis and Americans as well.

From a purely Scottish perspective, let’s not forget that Bob MacIntyre wouldn’t be where he is now if it hadn’t been for the full year he spent on what was called the Challenge Tour at the time. The Oban man graduated at the end of the 2018, won the DP World Tour Rookie of the Year the following season and the rest, as they say, is history.

The same goes for David Law, Connor Syme, Ewen Ferguson, Calum Hill and Grant Forrest, all of whom have become DP World Tour winners as well after effectively learning their trade in the professional game through spending some valuable time on the second-tier circuit.

DP World Tour cards are secured

It had become a bit of a concern that the last three HotelPlanner Tour campaigns had come and gone without a Scot being among those to secure a step up to the top tour, though Euan Walker, in fairness, had given it a rousing run on each occasion only to come up agonisingly short in the card battle.

However, the Saltire has been prominent in events this season and, as a result of that, there’s even a chance that a repeat of 2018, when MacIntyre was joined in graduating by Forrest, Law and Liam Johnston, could be on the cards come early November at the end of the Rolex Grand Final in Mallorca.

Helped by his win last month in the D+D REAL Czech Challenge, Law currently sits fourth in the Road to Mallorca Rankings, with Daniel Young just two spots behind after he landed a maiden win in that £250,000 home event on Sunday. The pair have effectively secured 2026 DP World Tour cards and all that now remains to be determined is how high they can finish on the points table.

On the back of ending up third at Schloss Roxburghe, which, incidentally, is a fantastic golf course and, boy, was it in great condition last week, Walker is up to 14th in the battle to finish in the all-important top 20 and, if there’s one player who deserves to be heading into the Grand Final in a position where it’s already job done, then it would certainly be the Ayrshireman.

Add in Calum Fyfe and Ryan Lumsden sitting 29th and 31st respectively and an exciting couple of months certainly lies ahead for the Caledonian contingent on a tour that is the lifeblood of European golf and, no matter what changes may lie in store for the game, always will be.

Scottish Amateur Championship doesn’t have same clout these days

It was almost a toss of a coin as I decided where to head on Saturday and, knowing that I was definitely heading to Schloss Roxburghe the following day, I am glad that I decided on Gullane to take in the final of the Scottish Amateur Championship.

For starters, it was nice to be reminded that there aren’t many better places in the world than up on the top of Gullane No 1 on a gorgeous day and, boy, has Paul Armour got the courses at the East Lothian venue looking absolutely magnificent at the moment.

Earlier in the week, my preview piece for the Scottish Golf event had noted the notable absence of Walker Cup contenders Connor Graham and Cameron Adam, as well as the likes of Niall Shiels Donegan and Jack McDonald, who, along with Graham - the teenager, incidentally, finished joint-12th - had secured an invitation to play in the Scottish Challenge.

This led one reader to get in touch with me to comment on that situation, as well as Graham opting to sit out last month’s European Team Championship to prepare for The Open. “Perhaps I am old school in my thinking, but surely they should consider how much their national associations have supported them and maybe feel that they have some obligation to return that support?” he asked. “Otherwise amateur golf might become irrelevant.”

The first thing that perhaps should be noted is that Scottish Golf isn’t in a position to ‘support’ players in the way it once did and that could well be a factor when such decisions are being made and, of course, it comes down to an individual making a call.

The sad fact of the matter, though, is that winning the Scottish Amateur Championship, for example, doesn’t hold the same clout these days as it did for the likes of Ronnie Shade, Charlie Green, Gordon Murray, Ian Hutcheon and George Macgregor.

What is important to note, however, is that Chris Somers, the Murcar Links man who claimed the crown at Gullane, was a very worthy winner indeed and a fine golfer with a lovely swing.

Dunbar development is music to Jacky Montgomery’s ears

It’s been in the pipeline for a long time, but work has finally started on a new clubhouse at Dunbar. “I think it was mentioned in my interview - and that was 26 years ago,” said Jacky Montgomery, the club professional who is now effectively filling a general manager’s role at East Links.