Two of Scotland’s brightest golfing talents, Bradley Neil and Carly Booth, have hailed the introduction of a competition which will build on the interest generated by the 2014 Ryder Cup.
More than 600 million viewers watched Europe triumph at Gleneagles last September, while the Rosemount course at Blairgowrie hosted one of the best attended Junior Ryder Cup events in history.
Now both Perthshire venues, in conjunction with Ryder Cup Europe and sponsors Highland Spring, have introduced the Legacy Cup, which will ensure 2014’s achievements create lasting benefit.
The new two-round Stableford competition, boasting a prize pot of £2,000, will enable golfers to play both courses over two days in September, refocusing the interest once again on Perthshire.
Neil and Booth, who have both savoured Junior Ryder Cup occasions, believe the new trophy, launched yesterday at the Scottish Golf Show, will build on the buzz created around Scottish golf last year.
“It is really important now to build on 2014 and keep people coming back,” said 19-year-old Blairgowrie member Neil, taking time out of preparations for his US Masters debut in Augusta next month.
“Giving golfers from across the UK the chance to play these two great courses on the same weekend is brilliant.”
European Ladies Tour player Booth, 22, who grew up in Comrie, said: “It was incredible thinking that there were some of the world’s biggest superstars just 15 minutes from my home.”