Lloyd Saltman defends world hickory
title at Craigielaw on Friday

PGA SCOTTISH REGIONPRESS RELEASE
The World Hickory championship continues to go from strength to strength with a record number of entries for this year’s tournament.More than 50 professionals and 20 amateurs will turn back the clock for the event, now in its fourth year, at Craigielaw GC on Friday September 26.The 18-hole tournament, which will be defended by Scotland’s Lloyd Saltman, will conclude a week-long festival that has also attracted players from the USA and Sweden.A professional prize fund of £10,000 is on offer, in addition to £7,500 for the tournament pro-am on Thursday.Sanctioned by the PGA, the event has attracted the support of the St Andrews Golf Company, the last remaining independent club manufacturer in Scotland.Entrants are only allowed to use a maximum of six hickory-shafted clubs and they must pre-date 1935, or be replicas of clubs from the period.Lionel Freedman, a director of the championship, is relishing this year’s event.
“The tournament certainly looks like it has got legs given the increased numbers this year,” he said.“Again we’ll have a lot of players here, some with their own club and dressed in Plus Fours, to enjoy the week.
“It’s good to have St Andrews Golf Company on board, both for them and us, however we’re continuing to look for a major sponsor, which the tournament really needs if it is to continue growing.
“The PGA Captain Parnell Reilly attended last year and said he’d love to see something similar over the border, which is something we’d also like to be able to do.”
Among those hoping to dethrone Saltman, is his younger brother Zack, champion in 2006 and America’s Mike Stewart who won on the tournament’s debut.
Scot Iain Forrester, who works in Holland, is also making the trip across the North Sea to compete.