Scottish Golf has announced a number of changes to its national championships following a comprehensive review, with several to come into effect from the start of next season.
The governing body has engaged with players, clubs and other stakeholders to help shape the changes, helping to provide a better platform for the nation’s amateur golfers to perform on while showcasing some of the country’s outstanding courses.
The most significant developments concerns changes to the formats and timing of the major national match play championships, while the Scottish Youths Championship will be removed from the schedule, with the category no longer complimenting the national structure or international amateur calendar.
In line with a number of other countries, the Scottish Boys and Men’s Amateur Championships will change from straight knock-out to 36-hole stroke play qualifying, with the leading 64 players (and ties) reaching the match play stages. The Scottish Boys Championship also moves from its traditional April slot into the school summer holidays, to be played for the first time alongside the Scottish Girls Championship, running concurrently on two neighbouring courses, with Scotscraig and Drumoig named as the 2017 host venues. The boys’ field size will reduce to 180, with the girls at 64.
The Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship will be held at Royal Aberdeen (6 – 10 June) for the first time since former Solheim Cup star Janice Moodie won the event there 25 years ago, while Royal Troon’s Old Course will continue to host the prestigious Helen Holm Scottish Women's Open Stroke Play Championship accompanied by the Troon Portland course.
Also in Ayrshire, Prestwick will be joined by Prestwick St Cuthbert in hosting the stroke play qualifying for the Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship (31 July – 5 Aug) and Western Gailes welcomes the leading male amateurs for the Carrick Neill Scottish Stroke Play Championship in early June.
Like their match play equivalents, the Scottish Boys and Girls Stroke Play Championships will be played on the same dates, moving to the Spring (Easter) holiday slot of 10 - 12 April next year, with Monifieth welcoming the boys and Montrose staging the girls.
To read all go to Kirkwood golf Website