Xltec Pro Tour inaugural winner at

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Whitekirk will earn £800 on Friday

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Some 70 male professionals have joined the new Xltec Pro Tour - but only 45 of them will be playing in the inaugural 36-hole stroke-play event over Thursday and Friday this week at Whitekirk Golf Club, near North Berwick.

"This week is just a bit too early for some of the guys who want to play on the circuit but it looks as if we will have a field of over 70 or so for the second event Hilton Park Golf Club on April 28 and 29," said tour director Alan Tait, pictured, director of golf at the Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel.

"Much the same applies to the lady professionals. We won't have a section for them at this first event but I am hoping that they will turn out in numbers at Hilton Park."

On the male side of things, there is a guarantee of 30 per cent of the field receiving prize money.

That means the top 13 at Whitekirk at the end of play on Friday will receive pay-outs although I understand there will be no official presentation at such at the end of the tournament.

First prize will be £800, second £650 and third £500. The 13th place pay-out will be £125.

All of these figures are subject to the field remaining at 45-strong.

Walker Cup player Wallace Booth (Comrie) is in the field but his GB&I team-mate and fellow rookie pro Gavin Dear from Murrayshall - Scone is where he comes from actually - is not.

But today Gavin gave Alan Tait and his fellow organisers a boost by saying that he certainly will play on the Xltec Pro Tour before it is very much older.

Gavin told Scottishgolfview.com:

"At the moment, I haven't decided which Xltec Pro Tour events I will play. It depends a little on how my schedule turns out. I will try and play when I'm at home. The first event at Whitekirk just came a bit quick for me, after being away for three weeks. I fancied a week off, so didn't enter this one.

"However, in my time off I was planning to run through my schedule and see which events could fit in.

"I think the Xltec Pro Tour is a great idea and something with a lot of promise. When myself and Keir McNicoll were at the Allianz Q school in France, we chatted about the need for a small tour to run in Scotland to get guys playing."

+We will have news of the first day's scores on the Xltec Pro Tour on this website early tomorrow evening.

REST OF XLTEC PRO TOUR SCHEDULE

April 28-29: Hilton Park.

May 25-26: Dalmahoy.

July 28-29 Westerwood.

September 28-29: Spey Valley, Aviemore.

October 6-7: Dundonald Links.

+To read about the lady pro section of the Xltec Pro Tour, switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk