Troon Welbeck pair lead qualifiers for unique

 

PING mixed championship at Gleneagles

 

                                   Anne Fraser and Hugh McKenzie with their prize golf bags at Gleneagles

 

SCOTTISHGOLF NEWS RELEASE

Four North-east club pairings are looking forward to competing in a ‘final like no other’, after coming through qualifying for the PING Scottish Mixed Championship, to be staged at glorious Gleneagles.

An exciting new addition to Scottish Golf’s national events calendar this season, 40 club pairings have won at local level to book their place in the showpiece final on Monday, 18 September on the superb Queen’s Course.

Troon Welbeck duo Anne Fraser and Hugh McKenzie topped the standings on the national leader board, after producing a brilliant stableford team score of 44 points and are now counting the days down to chasing the inaugural title at the 2019 Solheim Cup venue.

They will be joined by four teams from the North-east, with Westhill (Tom and Irene Turner) finishing in a tie for 10^th place on 38 points. Buckpool (William and Mary Bruce), Longside (Stewart and Lesley Kidd) and Auchenblae (John Cruikshank and Lynne Lawrie) also sealed final spots.

The unique final promises to be a fantastic event, with great prizes on offer from sponsors PING, world class hospitality within the ‘glorious playground’ of The Gleneagles Hotel and the opportunity for club members to be crowned PING Scottish Mixed champions.

The free-to-enter handicap competition has seen male and female golfers of all abilities come together in the mixed stableford format from clubs across the country, celebrating Scottish Golf’s partnership with PING. Gleneagles provides a fitting venue, given its staging of the Solheim Cup, which was created by PING’s founder, Karsten Solheim, back in 1990 and is now widely regarded as the biggest event in ladies’ team golf.

John Clark, Managing Director of PING Europe, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Scottish Golf in the countdown to the 2019 Solheim Cup and Junior Solheim Cup at Gleneagles and giving the opportunity for club golfers across Scotland to participate in this fantastic new event.

“We congratulate all the finalists who have qualified through their local club competitions and I’m sure they’re all hugely excited about the chance to perform on the big stage as a team at such an iconic venue. PING is very proud to support grass roots golfers throughout the UK at every level of the game.”

Gary Silcock, Director of Golf at The Gleneagles Hotel, added: “This is another exciting tournament for Gleneagles in the lead up to the resort hosting the 2019 Solheim Cup.

“That is going to be a big family-focused event and the PING Scottish Mixed Championship has a similar focus with male and female players coming together to have fun in a great team format. Hopefully the PING Scottish Mixed Championship makes families and children more aware of what is happening here at Gleneagles in 2019 and we wish all the finalists good luck on 18 September.”

Anne Fraser, ladies’ captain at Troon Welbeck, said: “It was the ladies’ section who led the club into the qualifying event for the PING Scottish Mixed Championship, working with the men. It’s a very sociable club.

“It was a fantastic club event and great to win to reach the final at Gleneagles. We had a really good turnout and it’s a very enjoyable format to play in. Hugh and I are now thrilled to have qualified for the final at Gleneagles, a venue I’ve never played before, so I’m really excited to be taking part.”

Pairings from as far afield as Buckpool in the north, to Wigtown in the south, will tee up for glory, with each player being rewarded with a PING Scottish Golf bag, produced exclusively for the final. Competitors lining up at Gleneagles will enjoy breakfast in The Dormy Clubhouse, before warming up at the PGA National Golf Academy with the opportunity to try the latest PING equipment in a custom fit experience.

 

The Scottish Golf TV cameras will be on hand to capture all the action from the final, before lunch and the presentation of top prizes for the leading five pairings. This year’s event is the first of a three-year partnership between PING, Scottish Golf and Gleneagles.