Fairmont St Andrews event from August 20 to 22

Scottish Senior Open prize fund boosted to £250,000

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR
The main protagonists at the Cleveland Golf / Srixon Scottish Senior Open will battle it out for an increased prize fund of £250,000 over the Sam Torrance-designed course at Fairmont St Andrews from August 20-22.
Part of EventScotland’s burgeoning portfolio of golf tournaments in Scotland this summer, which includes the 150th Anniversary Open Championship at St Andrews as well as The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard at Carnoustie, the 18th staging of the Cleveland Golf / Srixon Scottish Senior Open, with a first prize of £37,500, will play a key factor in determining the winner of the 2010 European Senior Tour Order of Merit.
Last year’s event saw Glenn Ralph emerge victorious after a terrific battle with Bob Cameron, Luis Carbonetti and Peter Senior over the Torrance Course.
Former PGA Champion Andrew Oldcorn will make his first appearance in the event, joining some of Europe’s most famous senior players in the Home of Golf. It is the second year that Cleveland Golf/Srixon have sponsored the Scottish Senior Open, extending their association with the Senior Tour with Cleveland Golf already the Official Club of the Senior Tour, and Srixon, the Official Ball Supplier to the Senior Tour.
Greg Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Golf and COB of Srixon Sports Europe said: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring the Scottish Senior Open at the Home of Golf for a second consecutive year following the success of last year’s event, which was won by Glenn Ralph. Our continued association and strong presence on the European Senior Tour is an important element of the marketing strategy for both Cleveland Golf and Srixon brands.”
Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said: “The Cleveland Golf/ Srixon Scottish Senior Open is one of the most important tournaments on the European Senior Tour and this year’s increased prize fund reflects this status.
“This is a big year for golf events in Scotland with the 150th anniversary of The Open Championship taking place at St Andrews just a month prior to the Scottish Senior Open adding to an already impressive year long calendar.
“This year we will also be starting the official countdown to the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles when Scotland picks up the mantle as the next European destination. Momentum is building for 2014 and raising the profile of golf events like the Scottish Senior Open, which are hosted annually in Scotland, is hugely important to ensuring that the nation remains firmly established as the Home of Golf and the best place in the world to play, watch and compete.”
Charles Head, General Manager of Fairmont St Andrews, said: “We are delighted at the return of the Cleveland/Srixon Scottish Senior Open to St Andrews in 2010. The Torrance Course proved a strong test to the field in 2009, and, following The Torrance's honour as a Local Final Qualifying course for The Open Championship this summer, we are confident it will be a worthy test when the Senior Tour returns again in August 2010”.
Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “The fact that Cleveland Golf and Srixon have increased the prize fund for the Cleveland Golf / Srixon Scottish Senior Open highlights the strength of our partnership with Cleveland Golf and Srixon.
“We thank them as well as EventScotland and Fairmont St Andrews for their support and continued commitment to the Senior Tour, and I am sure that they will be rewarded for their efforts with the highest quality field at Fairmont St Andrews in the summer.”