Gordon Law, winner of Glenmuir title in 2003.

Back to qualifying for Gordon Law and

Glenmuir PGA Pro Championship

NEWS RELEASE ISSUE BY THE PGA

Gordon Law will experience an unusual happening in his long and distinguished golf career on Tuesday (May 12). The 44-year-old former Scottish champion and professional at Uphall, near Edinburgh, will have to endure an unfamiliar route into the 72-hole final of the flagship event for Great Britain and Ireland’s top club professionals, the £78,000 Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship.

“This’ll be the first time since 1998 that I’ll have to take part in the Scottish qualifying round (being held at Dundonald Links as is the final, from June 16-19).

“I’ve always been exempt for various reasons, (finishing in the top 20 in the previous year’s championship; three times being a member of the PGA Cup team, the club pros’ version of the Ryder Cup, and most notably, winning the Glenmuir title in 2003, which brought with it a five-year exemption from qualifying).

The prospect of playing the tough Dundonald Links fills him with some concern.

“If they play it off tees similar to the European Tour qualifying test last year (and that could be up to 7,400 yards), then there’ll be nightmare scores. But I’m sure the PGA officials will bring some commonsense to the event.”

Law, 19 years at Uphall, which was his first head pro’s job, doesn’t subscribe to the idea of wishing his life away, but he’s casting speculative eyes towards the year 2015, when he qualifies for the European Senior Tour.

“Six years and counting”, he muses. “And I want to get fit for that. If I could make another PGA Cup team, that would be great but it’s not something that drives me on now. Maybe, though, I could have a home-country contribution to make from the sidelines when the GB&I team play the Americans at The Carrick on Loch Lomond in September.”

Another former PGA Cup player, Robert Arnott, has had an encouraging start to his season. With one Order of Merit event completed – the Callaway 36 holes at Monifieth – the Bishopbriggs pro scorched the Angus linksland course with a five-under 66 second round, the best of the day, to hoist himself into a share of sixth place.

This championship will be a record 17 years’ sponsorship by the Scottish golfwear manufacturers.

“The start of the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship always marks the start of the tournament season for PGA pros, and we’re really looking forward to this year’s qualifying finals,” said the company’s marketing director Andy Bough.

“Now, more than ever, the Glenmuir Championship offers professionals the chance to compete with fellow professionals, but also to meet and share views and ideas on current trading. We hope all of the competitors will enjoy this year’s tournament.”

+Competitor draw and full list of entries for the event at Dundonald Links can be found under ‘Schedule, Scores and Results’ at http://www.pga.info/PGAProfessionalChampionship.aspx