Tartan Tour shock - Brian Mair leaving to 

become SGU commercial manager

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
The Tartan Tour is looking for a new leader for the second time in a couple of years.

Brian Mair, pictured, secretary of the PGA in Scotland since April 2013, is leaving the post to become the Scottish Golf Union's commercial manager at the end of June
Former Glenmuir marketing director Mair (50) will ake a wealth of business expertise to his SGU role, notably with his marketing and sales experience with leading golf apparel companies Sunderland of Scotland and more recently Glenmuir and helped successfully integrate both.
Mair also oversaw the marketing activities for Glenmuir relating to the Ryder Cup 2010 and 2012, The Open Championship 2010 and 2011 and the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championships.


As the Tartan Tour supremo, Mair was steadily bringing in new tournament ideas and he was responsible for the Ladies Tartan Tour becoming part of the PGA in Scotland programme.
No other PGA region runs tournaments for female professionals.
A little over two years ago, Sandy Jones, the PGA's Scots-born supremo, appointed Mair to succeed Michael MacDougall who had been made an offer he could not refuse to become manager of the Paul Lawrie Foundation.


NEWS RELEASE FROM SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
The Scottish Golf Union (SGU) is delighted to announce the appointment of Brian Mair as its new Commercial Manager. He will begin his role at the end of June.
One of the Scottish golf industry's most respected figures having previously worked with Glenmuir, Sunderland of Scotland, Lyle and Scott and Wilson Sporting Goods, Mair is to leave his role as Secretary of The PGA in Scotland to take up his new position.
The 50 year-old will be charged with growing the Scottish Golf Union’s commercial revenue through sponsorship and other revenue streams, working with existing partners and targeting prospective new sponsors.
The SGU’s current portfolio of partner brands includes Aberdeen Asset Management, Adidas, Belhaven, Carrick Neill, GolfKings Travel and SSE Scottish Hydro, with cash sponsorship revenues representing 13% of the organisation’s income in the last financial year.
Since joining The PGA at their Gleneagles base in April 2013, Mair has helped drive several new sponsorship deals for the domestic Tartan Tour circuit, while during his Sales and Marketing role at Glenmuir, the Ayrshireman was responsible for successfully activating the brand’s Ryder Cup partnership in 2010 and 2012, as well as the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship.
"I am delighted to take up the new role of Commercial Manager and look forward to using my business experience, knowledge and network to attract further investment for growing and developing the game in Scotland,” said Mair.
“It is a fantastic new challenge for me and I am excited by the opportunities that lie ahead in attracting more brands to work with the Scottish Golf Union through the many platforms built up by the team in recent years.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed working with The PGA of Scotland and its members, notably during an exciting time for the game in 2014, and it continues to play a pivotal role in developing golf."
Hamish Grey, Chief Executive of the Scottish Golf Union, added: “We are delighted that someone of Brian’s experience and reputation is joining us, given the commercial and partnership opportunities that exist as we move to a new amalgamated governing body, Scottish Golf Limited, from 1 October.
“Brian will bring a great understanding of what is required to attract new investment both domestically and overseas and his experience of working within golf and the private sector will be of great value to Scottish Golf.”