Lee Westwood is looking for a third Rolex Series win after taking the first round lead in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, thanks to a 62. Pictures by GETTY IMAGES

LEE Westwood fired two eagles on his way to carding a superb nine-under par 62 to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.

It is 22 years since the veteran of nine Ryder Cups won the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

The Notts-rasied golfer, who now lives in Newcastle, made the most of the favourable afternoon conditions at The Renaissance Club, equalling the course record, as he goes in search of a third Rolex Series title.

Westwood, who already has one win in 2020 to his name, said: “I didn’t put myself under too much pressure all day.

“I played solidly. We got the good end of the draw – there’s no doubt about that, in the afternoon lot.

“But you’ve got to make the most of it when it does happen to you. That’s links golf, and you know you’re going to be on the wrong side of it often enough.

“So when you’re on the right side of it, you’ve got to try to make the most of it,” added Westwood, who has the chance of a 10th Ryder Cup appearance after September’s match at Whistling Straits was put back until 2021.

Westwood happy with game after 62

Lee said: “I played solidly. Drove the ball well. Iron shots were good. In a good groove since the US Open.

“I took that discipline from there to here today. Aimed away from flags when I needed to. Left myself a lot of nice looks uphill for birdie.

“Distance control was good, which you know, could have been one of the few things to trip people up today.

“It wasn’t quite going as far as normal. The greens are nice and you feel like if you put a good roll on it, it holds its line.

“So, yeah, obviously very pleased with the round,” said the Worksop Wonder, who has 25 European Tour titles to his name, and claimed the European Order of Merit 20 years ago after five wins in one season.

The 47-year-old claimed his first European Tour win in four years with victory in the 2018 Nedbank Golf Challenge, before holding off Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Victor Perez to claim the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – his second Rolex victory – earlier this year.

Lee Westwood who shot a 62 in the first round of the 2020 Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club at North Berwick

Scott Jamieson enjoys a bit of afternoon delight at Scottish Open

SWEDEN’S Alexander Björk and Dutchman Joost Luiten are one shot off the pace at eight-under – with local favourite Scott Jamieson at seven-under.

Jamieson, a 36-year-old Glaswegian, said: “I looked at the scores when I got to the golf course and realised that it obviously had been really tough in the morning.

“I think when it’s wet and cold like that, the ball just doesn’t travel far,” said the 36-year-old, who won a rain-interrupted Nelson Mandela Championship in South Africa, in December 2012.

Jamieson, who spent four years at Augusta State University before turning pro in 2006, added: “If you’re in the rough, it’s tough to move to ball far.

“So for me – very lucky to be on that side of the draw today. But there’s a long way to go, and we’ll see what the weather does.

“I think everyone probably recognised that this week and next week is probably going to define how good a season you have.

“You could play well the rest of the tournaments, maybe not do particularly well this week and next week, and you don’t get to Dubai.

“But the same could be said the other way. You could not play well in those events and then play great in just one of these weeks, and you may find yourself in Dubai.”

Fellow Scotsman Craig Lee is currently alongside Robert Rock and Finland’s Kalle Samooja in a share of sixth place. Lee has not played a European Tour event since the 2017 Andalucía Valderrama Masters.

•To follow live scoring in the second round click here.

Paul Lawrie at the launch of the Legends Tour at Wentworth last month – he will now concentrate on Seniors golf after calling time on his 28-year career on the Euorpean Tour

European Tour Legend Lawrie bowing out

MEANWHILE Scottish Major winner Paul Lawrie confirmed he will call time on his European Tour career after completing his 620th appearance on Scotland’s Golf Coast this week.

Major-winner Lawrie said: “There are a lot of factors behind the decision – the main one being that I don’t feel I can be competitive week-in, week-out at this level.

“My back is not very good. I’ve got a herniated disc and I struggle to practice enough.

“I’m not able to hit the amount of balls I need. I’m not particularly talented so I lose my game quite quickly,” said the winner of the 1999 Open, who won a play-off with Justin Leonard and Jean Van de Velde – following the Frenchman’s famous meltdown in Carnoustie’s Barry Burn.

“To have played 620 events is not a bad innings considering I turned pro (in 1986) with a five-handicap and didn’t think I’d play any,” added 51-year-old Lawrie, who has eight European Tour victories to his name, including that Claret Jug.

“I haven’t been a great player, but I’ve been decent and that’s all you can ask for,” said Lawrie, who joined the European Tour in 1992.

Lawrie joined the Staysure Seniors Tour in 2019 after turning 50, and claimed the Scottish Seniors Open in August last year.

Last month, Lawrie became a Legends Tour ambassador after the European Tour entered into a joint venture with over 50s insurance giant Staysure, which will look to expand Seniors golf in Europe.

The Aberdonian plans to continue to play on the new Legends Tour in 2021.

Lawrie bought Aberdeen’s Aspire Golf Centre in 2013, creating the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre. His foundation – formed in 2001 – has been a driving force in junior golf north of the border for nearly 20 years.

Having been made an MBE in 2000, Lawrie was awarded the OBE for his voluntary service to golf in 2013.

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Korea’s Mi Jung Hur will return to The Renaissance Club, in North Berwick, in 2020 to defend her Scottish Ladies Open title. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THE Renaissance Club will again host the European Tour’s Scottish Open and the Ladies Scottish Open in 2020, with both events returning to the picturesque East Lothian venue for a second successive season.

Both events will again be sponsored by Aberdeen Standard Investments – the 2020 edition of Scotland’s national men’s open will be played on July 9-12, followed closely by the women’s event on the same course from August 13-16.

Golf fans from East Lothian and beyond flocked to the Tom Doak-designed course for this year’s Scottish Open as the event attracted more than 66,000 spectators – the highest figure since the tournament began travelling to venues across the country in 2011, following a 16-year spell at Loch Lomond Golf Club.

This summer, fans enjoyed two weeks of world class golf as Austrian Bernd Wiesberger triumphed over a field including four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy and American stars Rickie Fowler Matt Kuchar and Justin Thomas to claim his sixth European Tour title.

Three weeks later, Korea’s Mi Jung Hur captured her third LPGA Tour title – a decade after her first – with a four-shot victory over an international leaderboard including Ariya Jutanugarn, Jeongeun Lee6 and Scotland’s Carly Booth.

In 2020, the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open will once again form part of the European Tour’s Rolex Series – the eight premium tournaments on the Race to Dubai – as well as taking its traditional slot in the week before The Open.

The Ladies Scottish Open, which is co-sanctioned by both the Ladies European Tour (LET) and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), has also become established as a key event in the schedules of many of the world’s best female golfers.

The 2020 tournament will be played the week before the AIG Women’s British Open.

Founded in 2008, The Renaissance Club nestles on 300 picturesque acres along the Firth of Forth and is one of the newest additions to the world-famous stretch known as Scotland’s Golf Coast.

The European Tour will return to East Lothian when The Renaissance Club hosts the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open in 2020 just weeks before the Ladies Scottish Open also returns there for a second successive season. Picture by PAUL SEVERN

With a minimalist design that incorporates the natural features of the land, the course has quickly become established as another East Lothian golfing gem.

The Renaissance Club has proven a significant addition to the golf tourism offering in East Lothian, gaining worldwide acclaim for the quality of its layout and design.

As part of its commitments to hosting Scotland’s two national opens for the first time this year, the club continued to support the golf tourism industry in Scotland by targeting additional visiting golfers from around the world as well as introducing a reduced rate for Scottish Golf members through their seasonal tee time programme.

The club also worked with both VisitScotland and Scottish Golf to support and fund women and junior golf development initiatives and make its practice facilities available to Scottish Golf’s amateur squads during preparation for major events.

Martin Gilbert, chairman of Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: “We’re looking forward to returning to The Renaissance Club in 2020.

“The facilities Jerry and his team offer both sets of players, on and off the course are second to none. The feedback we’ve received is that the location works well with the golfing public as well as our colleagues.

“We’ve also listened to the professionals who played the course this year and collectively we will be implementing a number of changes based on their feedback.

“We look forward to welcoming back the world’s best players to Scotland’s golf coast, for what is sure to be another memorable two weeks of golf next summer.”

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: “Jerry Sarvadi and the team at The Renaissance Club proved to be wonderful hosts when they welcomed the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open for the first time this year, and we are delighted to be coming back to this beautiful part of Scotland once again.

“Golf fans in East Lothian have shown tremendous support for this event in recent years, firstly at Gullane in 2015 and 2018, and they turned out in force at The Renaissance Club this year.

“We’ll be working hard to make the event even bigger and better ahead of its return in 2020, and I thank our partners Aberdeen Standard Investments and VisitScotland for their continued vision and commitment in supporting this world class tournament.”

Jerry Sarvadi, the founder and chief executive of The Renaissance Club, said: “The 2019 events saw some of the world’s best players come to Scotland to compete in what ended up as very unusual, benign weather conditions for Scotland during the men’s competition and somewhat more normal conditions during the ladies’.

“We believe the 2020 event will only grow in stature, and we hope as many people as possible will come and watch the truly spectacular golf being played next year in July and August.”

Players from both the European Tour, LPGA and LET have given feedback about the private members club close to Muirfield to make both 2020 tournaments even better say organisers. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

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Rickie Fowler during the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open. Image credit Paul Severn

It has been confirmed that the Renaissance Club will host the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open next year, with both events returning to the picturesque East Lothian venue for the second successive season.

The 2020 edition of Scotland’s national men’s open, part of the Rolex Series, the eight premium tournaments on the Race to Dubai, will be played on July 9-12, 2020, followed closely by the women’s event on the same course on August 13-16.

Golf fans from East Lothian and beyond flocked to the Tom Doak-designed course for this year’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open as the event attracted over 66,000 spectators – the highest figure since the tournament began travelling to venues across the country in 2011, following a 16-year spell at Loch Lomond Golf Club.

This summer, fans enjoyed two weeks of world class golf as Austrian Bernd Wiesberger triumphed over a field including four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy and American stars Rickie Fowler Matt Kuchar and Justin Thomas to claim his sixth European Tour title. Three weeks later, the Republic of Korea’s Mi Jung Hur captured her third LPGA Tour title – a decade after her first – with a four-shot victory over an international leaderboard including Ariya Jutanugarn, Jeongeun Lee6 and Scotland’s Carly Booth.

In 2020, the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open will once again form part of the European Tour’s Rolex Series, as well as taking its traditional slot in the week before The Open.

Mi Jung Hur during the at Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at Renaissance Club. Image credit Getty Images

The Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, which is co-sanctioned by both the Ladies European Tour (LET) and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), has also become established as a key event in the schedules of many of the world’s best female golfers and will be played the week before the AIG Women’s British Open.

Founded in 2008, The Renaissance Club nestles on 300 picturesque acres along the Firth of Forth and is one of the newest additions to the world-famous stretch known as Scotland’s Golf Coast. With a minimalist design that incorporates the natural features of the land, the course has quickly become established as another East Lothian golfing gem.

The Renaissance Club has proven a significant addition to the golf tourism offering in East Lothian, gaining worldwide acclaim for the quality of its layout and design. As part of its commitments to hosting Scotland’s two national opens for the first time this year, the club continued to support the golf tourism industry in Scotland by targeting additional visiting golfers from around the world as well as introducing a reduced rate for Scottish Golf members through their seasonal tee time programme.

The club also worked with both VisitScotland and Scottish Golf to support and fund women and junior golf development initiatives and make its practice facilities available to Scottish Golf’s amateur squads during preparation for major events.

Martin Gilbert, Chairman of Aberdeen Standard Investments said: “We’re looking forward to returning to The Renaissance Club in 2020. The facilities Jerry and his team offer both sets of players, on and off the course are second to none. The feedback we’ve received is that the location works well with the golfing public as well as our colleagues.

“We’ve also listened to the professionals who played the course this year and collectively we will be implementing a number of changes based on their feedback. We look forward to welcoming back the world’s best players to Scotland’s golf coast, for what is sure to be another memorable two weeks of golf next summer.”

Sports Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “Scotland is synonymous with the world’s biggest golf events and, with both the men’s and ladies Scottish Opens among the most prestigious on their respective tours, it is vital we have a venue to match.

“The Renaissance Club proved to be a great host venue in 2019 and I’m looking forward to both events returning in 2020. They’ll have a positive impact on the economy – both locally and nationally – and will help support numerous initiatives on and off the golf course promoting healthy and active lifestyles, sports development, sustainability and inclusion.”

Jerry Sarvadi, Founder/Chief Executive of The Renaissance Club said: “The Renaissance Club is delighted to again work with Aberdeen Standard Investments and the European Tour to host both the 2020 Men’s and Ladies Scottish Opens. The 2019 events saw some of the world’s best players come to Scotland to compete in what ended up as very unusual, benign weather conditions for Scotland during the Men’s competition and somewhat more normal conditions during the Ladies competition.

“We believe the 2020 event will only grow in stature at The Renaissance Club, and we hope that as many people as possible will come and watch the truly spectacular golf being played next year in July and August.”

Mike Whan, LPGA Commissioner, and Mark Lichtenhein, LET Chief Executive, said: “The LPGA and the LET are happy to partner with our friends at Aberdeen Standard Investments and VisitScotland to again bring our tours to the same course as the European Tour.

“The last two years have been a wonderful opportunity to introduce the world’s best female golfers to the fans in East Lothian and we look forward to working together on what will surely be an exciting precursor to the season’s final major championship in 2020.”

Councillor John McMillan, Cabinet Spokesperson for Economic Development and Tourism, East Lothian Council, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that East Lothian will be welcoming the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open for a third successive year. The events are a massive opportunity to showcase all that Scotland’s Golf Coast has to offer – the partnership between fantastic local hospitality offering, delightful food and drink places, friendly local businesses and a host of superb golf courses and other local attractions.

“The Renaissance Club proved to be a popular venue this year, following the success at Gullane in 2018, and this announcement is a reflection of the events success here in East Lothian and the warm welcome that is guaranteed to players, fans and the world’s golfing fraternity.”

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Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Opens media day.
Image free to use in conjunction with the promotion of the events courtesy of the European Tour and Aberdeen Standard Investments.
Pic Kenny Smith, Kenny Smith Photography
Tel 07809 450119

Kelsey MacDonald, Catriona Matthew, Pamela Pretswell, Michele Thomson and USA’s Beth Allen attend Media Day

European Solheim Cup Captain, Catriona Matthew, leads the home challenge as four of Scotland’s finest golfers united today alongside America’s Beth Allen for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open Media Day at The Renaissance Club ahead of the tournament from 8 – 11 August.

The tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the LPGA and Ladies European Tour for the third year running, visits The Renaissance Club for the first time in 2019, just three weeks after the Men’s Scottish Open and is set to feature at least five local hopes.

Matthew, who lives in nearby North Berwick, is a two-time winner of the tournament and will be making her ninth appearance in her National open whilst Kelsey Macdonald also tees it up for the ninth time with her best finish coming in 2016 (T19).

Thomson, who enters as the second-highest ranked Scot in the 2019 LET Order of Merit, is joined by Pamela Pretswell Asher, who returns after 20 months on the side-lines following the birth of her first child and will be looking to re-create the form that saw her finish in fourth place in 2013.

Joining them as an honorary Scot for the day and taking part in an exploding golf ball stunt was Beth Allen. The American, who captured the 2016 Ladies European Tour Order of Merit and ‘Player of the Year’ spoils, might hail from California but she has deep-seated Scottish ties having resided in Edinburgh for the last three years.

“I just love this place, Scotland is so magical” said Allen, who is also an Aberdeen Standard Investments ambassador. “Everything about Scottish golf gets me excited. I grew up playing in San Diego where you have to hit it high so playing in Scotland is a very different challenge but one that I enjoy. This will be my eighth consecutive appearance in this event and I’ll be hoping to use some of my knowledge of the area to my advantage this summer.”

The group of players are the latest to confirm participation in the 156-player field, competing for $1.5 million following the confirmation of defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn and reigning Women’s British Open champion, Georgia Hall.

Commenting on the day, Pretswell Asher, said, “It feels good to be back in the golfing fold. The last six months with my daughter Kirsty have been amazing but it feels exciting to be back in familiar territory and I am looking forward to competing against the best players in Scotland and some of the best in the world. I watched last year’s event on the TV and it was scary to see just how good some of the play was. It definitely motivated me to get my game back in good shape to compete this year. The tournament continues to grow and that is testament to the commitment from Aberdeen Standard Investments and Visit Scotland, who help put the spotlight on women’s golf here in Scotland.

Martin Gilbert, Chairman of Aberdeen Standard Investments, said, “I have watched this tournament grow from a National open to what it is today, a world-class golf event. Throughout that growth, we have always maintained the importance of recognising local talent and providing a platform for Scottish players to compete on a major golfing stage. This event is a great opportunity for all involved in our media day to showcase their ability to the world and we hope the Scottish fans get behind them at The Renaissance Club this summer.”

Paul Bush, Director of Events with VisitScotland, said, “We are delighted to support our home-grown talent at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.which is now considered a truly world-class event. It will be interesting to see if any of the Scottish talent here today can do something to turn the head of European Solheim Cup captain, Catriona Matthew, who has been a fantastic ambassador for Scottish golf over the last twenty years.”

The Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open is the final Solheim Cup qualifying event for Team Europe with the full team announced at Gleneagles on Monday 12th August. Team Europe captain, Catriona Matthew, will be expecting all Solheim Cup hopefuls to attend.

The 2019 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open is FREE ENTRY with fun for all the family both on the course and within the spectator village.

For further championship and spectator information, please visit: https://ladiesscottishopen.com/

or follow us at @LadiesScottish #ASILSO.

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Judy Murray and Nicola Sturgeon – at the 2018 ASI Gender Summit

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, today welcomed the announcement that Aberdeen Standard Investments will host its 5^th annual Diversity Summit during the week of The 2019 Solheim Cup. The biennial women’s golf tournament, which this year is funded by the Scottish Government, is contested by teams representing US and Europe, and will take place at Gleneagles in Scotland, from 9^th to 15^th September. The Solheim Cup promises to provide a unique and inspiring backdrop for the global investment company’s annual Diversity Event.

The announcement was made at a reception in New York to promote the event as part of the annual Scotland Week celebrations where messages of support from US Captain Juli Inkster and European Captain Catriona Matthew were played to a hosted audience alongside a display of the Solheim Cup trophy itself.

Aberdeen Standard Investments is the title sponsor of both the Men’s and Ladies Scottish Opens and this association with The 2019 Solheim Cup further demonstrates their commitment to equality. The partnership provides the unique opportunity during the week of The 2019 Solheim for the Company to hold its annual Diversity Summit at Gleneagles which, in previous years, has attracted high profile speakers from the worlds of politics, business and sport.

Lynne Connolly, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: “We are delighted to play our part in one of the world’s biggest sporting events. The themes of equality, innovation and experience are extremely important to the culture of Aberdeen Standard Investments and will be at the heart of the Solheim Cup. It is therefore a natural fit for us to host our Diversity Summit, a forum we are committed to and one that continues to go from strength to strength.”

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland said: “We are delighted at the incredible support we have received to host The 2019 Solheim Cup. I’m particularly pleased that Aberdeen Standard Investments has come on board to host their annual Diversity Summit during The Solheim Cup week.  They share Scotland’s commitment to raising the international profile of women’s golf and addressing the inequalities that continue to exist across society.”

Catriona Matthew, European Solheim Cup Captain said: “As a long standing Aberdeen Standard Investments ambassador I’m delighted they have chosen to host their annual Diversity Summit during the tournament week. Over the past 4 years the event has grown and evolved, with a range of inspirational speakers exploring how we tackle the inequalities that exist across society. As Captain of the European Team, but also as a professional female athlete, I have the utmost respect for ASI’s unwavering support of the women’s game.”

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