Leading Scottish female amateurs and select professionals are to tee it up at Carnoustie, host of last year’s Open Championship, in a new 36-hole event.
Thirty of the country’s best female golfers will compete in the inaugural ‘The Carnoustie Autumn Test’, which is being staged on Carnoustie’s Buddon Links in October.
The event will be an Order of Merit event counting for the 2019 Scottish Women’s Order of Merit and will be the last event on the calendar. Players will play two rounds over the newest of the three 18-hole courses at Carnoustie on October 6, with official practice days on October 4-5.
Keir McNicoll, PGA Head Professional at Carnoustie Golf Links and Tournament Director for The Carnoustie Autumn Test, said: “It’s fantastic to be hosting The Autumn Test at Carnoustie Golf Links, especially with one of our key objectives being to promote participation in golf. The event will give us an opportunity to showcase the Buddon Links, while allowing Scotland’s best woman amateur players to battle it out in the final event of the season for the National Order of Merit.”
He added: “The Ladies Amateur schedule is quite sparse after the Home Internationals, so we felt this event would be a good way to keep the players competitive right through until the end of the season. It will be a great time of year for women’s golf too, with the Solheim Cup taking place only a few weeks prior to the Autumn Test and, who knows, we might just have a few future Solheim Cup stars in the field.”
Carnoustie native and leading amateur in this year’s Scottish Women’s Amateur Championship Stroke Play, Jess Meek, said: “It’s brilliant that Carnoustie is hosting this event and it’s fantastic that it is going to be part of the Scottish Women’s Order of Merit. I think the Carnoustie Buddon Links Course is a great test of golf. It’s not the longest course but it requires well placed shots and the greens are always in great shape.”
Prizes will be awarded to the leading five players and the leading under 18 player. Players have until Sunday 1st September to enter the ballot for the event. Players can enter at https://www.carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk/tournament/the-carnoustie-autumn-test/