SOUTAR AND McDONALD INVITED TO PLAY IN ABERDEEN SCOTTISH OPEN

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR

The outstanding performances of two of Scotland’s leading amateur golfers have been rewarded in the form of invitations to compete in next week’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart Golf Links, near Nairn.

Brian Soutar, 28, and 19 year old Jack McDonald will tee it up alongside many of the professional giants of the game including defending champion and World Number One, Luke Donald, three-time Major Champions Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington and leading Scots Paul Lawrie and Martin Laird.

Soutar, from Leven in Fife, is a full Scottish international and in March he followed 2011 winner Michael Stewart in keeping the South African Amateur Championship in Scottish hands by capturing the title at Mowbray Golf Club in Cape Town.

As a result, Soutar is qualified to play in the co-sanctioned South Africa Open on The European Tour International Schedule and Sunshine Tour this November. He has been helped in his career with sponsor support from Aberdeen Asset Management and South African businessman Johann Rupert.

He said: "This is great news. I'm really privileged to get an invite. With me playing in the South African Open at the end of the year, the more you play at this level the more you get used to it. It's a huge event in Scotland with some of the best players in the world competing so I'm really looking forward to it.

“I'd love to play with Luke Donald or one of the Scottish guys, like Paul Lawrie. A few of my mates will be cheering me and I’m sure there will be a big contingent coming up from Fife on so it will be great to have home support."

McDonald, from Barassie, Troon in Ayrshire, has been one of the country’s outstanding juniors over the last few years, winning the Scottish boys' stroke play championship in 2009 before producing an outstanding performance in the recent British amateur championship at Royal Troon, where he reached the semi-finals before losing to Austrian Matthias Schwab.

Hamish Grey, Chief Executive of the Scottish Golf Union, added: "We're very appreciative of the invitations to both players, giving them a great experience of tournament golf at such a high level. Thanks hugely to The European Tour and Aberdeen Asset Management."

Advance ticket savings are still available for the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, with adult one-day tickets currently costing £30 – a reduction of £5 on the gate price.

Adult season tickets are currently priced at £70, offering a £10 saving on the gate price.

 Hospitality places in the panoramic top floor of the Castle Stuart Clubhouse on Thursday, Friday and Saturday priced from £219 + VAT per person.