Loch Lomond Golf Club, The European Tour and the International Management Group today announce a three-way agreement which will see the return of The Scottish Open at Loch Lomond for a minimum period of five years.
The 2001 event will be played from Thursday, July 12 to Sunday, July 15 – the first Sunday finish on The European Tour immediately preceding Open Championship week.
Prize money for the 2001 Scottish Open at Loch Lomond will reach a record for the tournament at £2.2 million – double the figure of £1.1 million for the 2000 Standard Life Loch Lomond won by Ernie Els. It is anticipated that a title sponsor will join up during the term of the agreement.
Loch Lomond Golf Club made its debut on The European Tour in September 1996 when Thomas Björn claimed his first Tour victory. The tournament assumed the July pre-Open Championship week from The Scottish Open in 1997 and victories by Tom Lehman, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie, prior to Els, have confirmed Loch Lomond’s Tom Weiskopf-Jay Morrish lay-out as world class.
Loch Lomond also hosted the dramatic Ladies European Tour victory over the United States in the Solheim Cup last October and is a candidate venue to host the 2009 Ryder Cup.
The Scottish Open title received enormous support during the period between 1986 and 1996 when eight successive championships were contested over the King’s Course at Gleneagles Hotel following the inaugural event at Haggs Castle and preceding two editions at Carnoustie. Champions then included Ryder Cup players David Feherty, Ian Woosnam - once each at Gleneagles and Carnoustie – and Jesper Parnevik.
The renewal of The Scottish Open at Loch Lomond will impact strongly on the completion of the field for the 130th Open Championship, to be played this year at Royal Lytham & St.Annes.
Effectively, no fewer than 15 exempt places will be on offer at Loch Lomond – eight direct places from the tournament and seven from the Volvo Order of Merit events commencing at the Volvo PGA Championship and concluding at Loch Lomond.
Lyle Anderson, Owner of Loch Lomond said: “We are delighted to have concluded a five year deal to host The Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.
“Over the past five years our tournament has grown in stature, proving popular with the European, American and International players and this new affiliation with The European Tour and IMG is a further step in our goal of making the tournament one of the premier events in world golf.”
The Scottish Open at Loch Lomond is expected to be televised live in a minimum of 38 countries. BBC TV will be the Host Broadcaster and provide four-day coverage throughout the United Kingdom while The Golf Channel will offer coverage available in upwards of 30 million homes in the United States and Canada.
