Boasting one of the strongest fields in the event’s 39-year history, the GolfKings Scottish Area Team Championship tees off at Blairgowrie tomorrow with Perth & Kinross tipped to triumph on home soil.
Contested over three days by the 16 Area Associations of the Scottish Golf Union, a number of past and present champions will battle it out over the impressive Lansdowne and Rosemout layouts in pursuit of the title.
Renfrewshire are the reigning champions, and have former Amateur champion Craig Watson and Matthew Clark third in last year’s SGU Men’s Order of Merit among their number.
But Clark insists this year’s home team are the side to beat. With Blairgowrie members Bradley Neil, the reigning Amateur champion, and Glenn Campbell, a former Scottish Amateur winner, in their ranks, as well as recent South African Amateur champion Daniel Young, Perth & Kinross will bid to replicate their 2012 victory, also at Blairgowrie.
Gavin Dear, who famously helped Scotland become world amateur champions when winning the 2008 Eisenhower Trophy in Australia, is in their side having been reinstated to the amateur ranks this season.
SGU National Squad player Clark, who combines his golf with his job as a senior bank manager, said: “We have the same six players who won last year and we’ll give it our best shot at Blairgowrie, even though it’s going to be a tough ask.
“I’d say Perth & Kinross are overwhelming favourites on home soil, especially bringing Gavin Dear back into their side, along with the likes of Bradley Neil and Daniel Young. It is hard to see past them, although there are several good teams taking part.
“It’s great to see the event being supported by so many talented amateurs from across Scotland and I’d say it’s a much-improved field to last year. It should be a great event.”
As well as Neil, GB&I Walker Cup squad members Graeme Robertson (Stirlingshire), Jack McDonald (Ayrshire) and Jamie Savage (Glasgow) also tee up for their respective Areas.
Current SGU Men’s Order of Merit leader Connor Syme spearheads the Fife challenge.
Each Area is represented by their leading six male amateur players, competing in a stroke play qualifying format. The leading eight teams qualify for the match play final stages, based on the lowest five scores from each team’s six players on each layout counting. The match play stage will commence on Saturday, ahead of Sunday’s head-to-head final.
First played for in 1977, the championship’s history has been dominated by the Lothians with 13 titles, with Fife winning two of the last four, including a win on home soil at Crail Golfing Society in 2013.
Entry is free for all spectators at Blairgowrie, with regular updates and live scoring on www.scottishgolf.org and on Twitter @SGUGolf or SGU Facebook.