Tag: Scotland

R&A agrees to deal to hold major championships in Scotland as part of 11-year agreement

A total of 14 championships will be held in Scotland across various venues during the term of the partnership.

The R&A has agreed to a new 11-year partnership with the Scottish Government and VisitScotland for staging major golf championships in Scotland.

The R&A, the Scottish Government and VisitScotland will contribute a combined $14 million towards staging The Open, AIG Women’s Open and the Senior Open in Scotland between 2024 and 2034.

The investment in the championships “will drive tourism and showcase Scotland as a world-class stage for major events, as well as delivering significant economic and social benefits to the country and the host regions”, The R&A said.

A total of 14 championships will be held in Scotland across various venues during the term of the partnership.

The announcement coincides with the results of an independent study commissioned by The R&A which show that The 152nd Open at Royal Troon – attended by a record-breaking 258,174 fans in July – generated almost $400 million in total economic benefit for Scotland.

The Championship provided a total economic impact of $110 million to Scotland, according to the study conducted by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC).

Independent research led by YouGov Sport also showed that $280 million of destination marketing benefit was delivered for Scotland as a result of it being broadcast worldwide through linear television and digital platforms.

The figures bring the total economic benefit generated by the 10 stagings of The Open in Scotland since 2005 to $1.76 billion. More than two million fans have attended in that time, including 250,000 from overseas, while The R&A’s Kids Go Free initiative has resulted in 230,000 young people under the age of 16 being able to access tickets at no cost.

As well as bringing economic benefits and global profile to Scotland, The R&A said that the agreement will also “help drive positive social impacts for the country through the delivery of inclusive and responsible events, which are key priority areas outlined in the national events strategy: Scotland the Perfect Stage 2024-2035.”

2024 British Open
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland looks on from the 18th green on day one of The 152nd Open championship at Royal Troon on July 18, 2024, in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said: “The partnership with the Scottish Government and VisitScotland ensures continuing support for staging our championships at renowned venues around the country, reinforcing Scotland’s international reputation as the home of golf and for providing a world-class stage for hosting major sporting events.

“Independent studies have proven that major championship golf delivers significant economic benefits to Scotland by driving tourism, showcasing the country to a global audience and generating income for local communities and businesses. The results produced by The 152nd Open at Royal Troon reinforce this and we look forward to working with our partners in government over the next ten years to stage a number of outstanding major championships in Scotland.”

Minister for Business, Richard Lochhead, said: “Golf is intertwined with Scotland’s identity, economy and global reputation. This agreement ensures some of the world’s most prestigious golfing events are hosted in Scotland until at least 2034.

More: The top 15 golf courses in Scotland, as ranked by Golfweek’s Best

“The R&A’s championships bring thousands of visitors to wherever they are hosted. Research shows that the most recent Open, held in Troon, brought millions of pounds to the local economy, providing a transformational boost to businesses and communities. So, it is vital we continue to maximize Scotland’s reputation as the home of golf to secure the significant economic impact associated with these championships.

“And these events showcase Scotland on the world stage, highlighting the varied landscape and sporting excellence Scotland offers.”

Rob Dickson, VisitScotland Director of Industry and Events, added: “Golf events have a significant economic and social impact in Scotland. As part of the country’s diverse portfolio of sporting and cultural events, they showcase Scotland’s natural beauty and world-class golfing heritage to a worldwide audience while supporting the economy by driving visitor numbers and creating jobs.

“The partnership with The R&A and Scottish Government to secure this pipeline of major championships over 11 years, will reinforce Scotland’s position as a world-leading tourism and events destination.”

Director of the Sport Industry Research at Sheffield Hallam University, Professor Simon Shibli, said: “We were delighted to return to Royal Troon for The 152nd Open, following our initial economic impact study at the course in 2016. In the intervening years, spectator numbers have increased significantly, as has their spending in South Ayrshire and Scotland more widely. It is hugely rewarding to see research insight being used effectively to maximize the economic benefit of The Open for its host communities.”

The economic impact study for The 152nd Open at Royal Troon concluded that Ayrshire alone received a $56.7 million injection of new money as tens of thousands of visitors traveled to the region to attend the Championship.

Over half of the spectators who attended The Open (51.1%) traveled from outside of Scotland. Nearly 10% of spectators had traveled from the United States of America.

Prior to this year, 68% of surveyed spectators had attended at least one Open before, while 55% had attended an Open since 2012.

Highly ranked Royal Dornoch in Scottish Highlands lands 2028 Curtis Cup Match

The 2028 Curtis Cup Match is headed to one of the best courses in the world.

Competitive women’s amateur golf has scored another victory, landing one of the top golf courses in the world as host of the 2028 Curtis Cup Match at Royal Dornoch in northern Scotland.

The Championship Course at Royal Dornoch is ranked by Golfweek’s Best as the No. 3 course outside the United States. Opened in 1877 as a nine-hole layout in the Scottish Highlands, the links course was extended to 18 holes in 1886 by Old Tom Morris. Other designers have contributed over the decades to the hilly seaside layout, including John Sutherland, George Duncan and most recently the team of Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert.

This year’s Curtis Cup Match, a biennial team event featuring top female amateurs representing the U.S. and Europe, is August 30-Sept. 1 at Sunningdale Golf Club’s Old Course in England, which Golfweek’s Best has tied for No. 9 among courses outside the United States. The 2026 match will be held from June 12-14 at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, which ties for No. 57 among all classic courses in the U.S.

The dates for the 2028 match are to be determined.

“We look forward to staging the Curtis Cup at such a historic venue in 2028,” Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director of championships for the R&A, said in a media release announcing the selection of Royal Dornoch in the run-up to this year’s staging of the event. “We want to give elite amateur golfers world-class platforms to show us how well they can perform, and that will certainly be the case at Royal Dornoch. The Championship Course has earned worldwide acclaim and it promises to be a wonderful occasion in the rich history of the Curtis Cup.”

Royal Dornoch Championship Course
Royal Dornoch’s Championship Course in the Scottish Highlands (Courtesy of Royal Dornoch Golf Club)

Royal Dornoch has a track record of hosting top amateur events, including the 1985 British Amateur Championship and four Scottish Men’s Amateur Championships, most recently in 2023.

“The Curtis Cup is also going to be a tremendous occasion for the local area,” Neil Hampton, general manager at Royal Dornoch, said in the media release. “With the Championship Course consistently ranked highly in global standings and the investment in our infrastructure as we build a new clubhouse, a match of this standing and stature will only enhance the reputation of Royal Dornoch, the town and the local area.”

Veloce dominates first Hydro X Prix Final as rivals hit trouble

E.ON NEXT Veloce Racing claimed its first win of the 2024 Extreme E season, dominating the first Final of the Hydro X Prix weekend as its rivals hit trouble in Scotland. Molly Taylor began the four-lap main event on Saturday with a clean getaway, …

E.ON NEXT Veloce Racing claimed its first win of the 2024 Extreme E season, dominating the first Final of the Hydro X Prix weekend as its rivals hit trouble in Scotland.

Molly Taylor began the four-lap main event on Saturday with a clean getaway, emerging from the first two turns in the lead. Behind her, Rosberg X Racing’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinky and Laia Sanz of Acciona Sainz came together, the contact resulting in right rear damage to the RXR machine, immediately taking it out of contention and opening the door for Andretti Altawkilat’s Timmy Hansen to get by.

Out in front, Sanz closed on Taylor during the remainder of the first lap, but the Veloce driver responded, dropping Sanz into Hansen’s clutches. From there, Hansen hit the back of Sanz twice, first at Waypoint 7, then again at Waypoint 22 – this time resulting in the dropping of a waypoint flag.

The pair survived both incidents with only superficial bodywork damage, but the collisions allowed Taylor to further extend her lead. She held a 2.137s advantage over Sanz when she came into the mid-race driver switch.

With Kevin Hansen now behind the wheel of the Veloce machine and Fraser McConnell taking over the Acciona Sainz car, the battle became closer, with McConnell reducing the gap to just 1.742s at the end of the third lap.

Hansen quickly responded with session-best times in the first two sectors of the final lap, and although McConnell was once again able to close in – ultimately finishing the race 1.435s adrift – he couldn’t overhaul the younger Hansen brother.

Catie Munnings brought the Andretti entry home in third, while RXR was classified third after initially getting going again, but retiring in the Switch Zone before Johan Kristoffersson could take over from Ahlin-Kottulinsky.

HYDRO X PRIX I FINAL RESULTS

In the redemption race, Legacy Motor Club’s Patrick O’Donovan and Gray Leadbetter won from SUN Minimeal’s Timo Scheider and Klara Andersson as both teams took their best results in Extreme E so far.

Scheider gave SUN Minimeal an early lead, but contact with JBXE’s Amanda Sorensen at the second waypoint on lap one sent Scheider into the track-lining hay bales, opening the door for O’Donovan to close in.

After getting by Scheider, then taking a look up the inside of Sorensen going into Waypoint 17, O’Donovan finally moved to the fore at Waypoint 20 towards the end of the first lap, and it was a position they would not relinquish, with Leadbetter bringing the car home 3.533s ahead of Andersson in the SUN Minimeal following the mid-race driver swap.

JBXE was classified third, albeit just under 1m27s back after contact between Sorensen and Scheider forced them to briefly stop. NEOM McLaren meanwhile finished bottom of the pile after a freak incident where the safety cut-off on the car – being driven by Mattias Ekstrom – was struck by a rock, which ended the team’s race before the second waypoint.

HYDRO X PRIX I REDEMPTION RACE RESULTS

Earlier in the day, Veloce got its event off to the best possible start after winning both its qualifying heats – those wins coming after setting the pace in practice on Friday.

It wasn’t totally straightforward, though. The team was the victim of heavy contact from SUN Minimeal at the start of Q1, race one, and while SUN went onto win the race, it was hit with a 10s penalty for the contact, dropping it to third in the classification.

That wasn’t the only mark on that team’s start to the day, with Andersson suffering a dramatic roll after crossing the finish line. While the car looked totally destroyed, it was repaired in time for Q2, where the team took second in Q2, race two, behind RXR – who had a troublesome Q1 race with a downed flag and a spin – and ahead of Andretti which won the other Q1 heat.

Veloce’s win means that it keeps its record of being the only team to finish on the podium in every round so far this season, while it is also its second consecutive victory on Scottish soil after its triumph in the second Final of last year’s Hydro X Prix – a race in which Andretti finished second.

As well as being its second consecutive podium in Scotland, third place for Andretti was both its second podium on the bounce this season.

With the round win, a brace of heat wins, and the fastest super sector time, Veloce takes a maximum score of 29 points from Saturday, moving it to the championship lead on 60 points. RXR’s tricky day drops it from first to third in the points, with Acciona Sainz moving up to second, while Andretti, McLaren, Legacy M.C., SUN Minimeal, and JBXE all maintain their positions.

Championship standings

1. E.ON NEXT Veloce Racing 60 points
2. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team 57 points
3. Rosberg X Racing 54 points
4. Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E 47 points
5. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team 34 points
6. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB 28 points
7. SUN Minimeal Team 18 points
8. JBXE 16 points

Chargers sign WR Praise Olatoke

Praise Olatoke joins the Chargers through the NFL’s International Pathway Program.

The Chargers signed wide receiver Praise Olatoke on Friday.

Olatoke, who was born in Nigeria and raised in Scotland, joins the team through the NFL’s International Pathway Program. This program allows international athletes to compete at the NFL level and improve their game to earn a spot on a roster.

Because he is a part of the program, Olatoke will not count toward the Chargers’ 90-man offseason roster during training camp. He would also not count toward their practice squad limit if he made the roster.

The 6-foot-2 and 205-pound Olatoke possesses blazing speed, having run track at Ohio State and clocking a 10.27-second 100-meter dash during the Big Ten Outdoor Championship in 2022.

Olatoke has little football experience, as he played on the Buckeyes’ club football team.

Germany vs Scotland: How to watch Euro 2024, TV channel, live stream

Euro 2024 kicks off with the host country facing the Tartan Army in Munich

Germany and Scotland will kick off Euro 2024 on Friday, as the host nation faces off against the Tartan Army at Allianz Arena in Munich.

Germany will be under pressure to perform well after early eliminations in three straight major tournaments.

Since taking over as Germany’s head coach in September 2023, Julian Nagelsmann has not quite convinced just yet. Wins over the U.S. men’s national team, France, and the Netherlands have helped his cause, but Die Mannschaft has also stumbled in losses to Turkey and Austria.

Germany’s pre-Euros friendlies were unconvincing as well, with a scoreless draw against Ukraine and a 1-0 win over Greece not the kind of results to build huge confidence ahead of the Euros.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Germany vs Scotland FREE on Fubo” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=PSW&subId2=Generic&subId3=2023%2F24″]

For Scotland, the goal is simple: advance past the group stage of a major tournament for the first time ever.

Steve Clarke’s side will have to navigate some injury issues, but will feel that advancement is achievable in a group that also features Hungary and Switzerland.

With the Euros seeing 16 of 24 teams reach the knockout stage, any result against the host nation will see the Tartan Army take a major step toward achieving their aim.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Germany vs Scotland (Euro 2024)

  • When: Friday, June 14
  • Where: Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany)
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FOX (Watch FREE on Fubo), ViX (Watch on Prime Video)

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Cabot Highlands offers nod to historic church and local cow with name and logo of new Tom Doak layout in Scotland

Cabot Highlands in Scotland reveals the name and logo for its new Tom Doak-designed layout.

Cabot Highlands in Inverness, Scotland, has chosen a name for its new Tom Doak-designed course that is now scheduled to open for preview play in 2025: Old Petty.

The name is a nod to the Old Petty Church, which was built in 1839 and sits off what will become the 16th green. The now-unused church is believed to sit at the site of an even older church, and the Old Petty Church is reported to have hosted an unusual custom: Mourners in the early 1800s would run to the church’s graveyard during funerals while carrying the coffin.

The logo for the new Old Petty course will be the highland cow, or “Hairy Coo” as the locals call them.

Cabot Highlands Old Petty
Cabot revealed the logo, based on a highland cow, for Old Petty, the new course being built by Tom Doak in Scotland. (Courtesy of Cabot)

Cabot revealed Doak’s planned routing for Old Petty last summer, with holes passing a 400-year-old castle that provided the previous name for the property, Castle Stuart, before the Canadian-based Cabot bought it and rebranded the northern Scottish resort in 2022.

Old Petty will be on the southwest side of the property’s original Castle Stuart Golf Links built by Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse, which ranks as the No. 4 modern course in Great Britain and Ireland. Built on land that was previously farmed, Old Petty will wrap down and around an estuary, offering stunning views and a layout that crisscrosses in a huge shared fairway for Nos. 1 and 18.

Cabot also plans to extend the unique white clubhouse to include a new whiskey and cigar bar, a clubhouse grill bar and a chophouse restaurant.

Check out several recent illustrations that provide a glimpse at how Old Petty might look.

Scottish golfer running world-famous marathon for cancer charity despite his own diagnosis

An avowedly private individual, he has also decided to speak about his illness in order to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

In the London Marathon next month there will be hundreds running to raise money for cancer-related charities. Paul Moultrie of Troon will be one of them, except that he is quite different from most participants because he is running WITH cancer.

Just six days before the Marathon, 59-year-old Moultrie, founder of the Mind Body Golf fitness consultancy, will complete a program of radiotherapy to treat his prostate cancer, a course that he began at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow. He is already undergoing hormone therapy to treat his cancer, and will probably have to do so for the next two years or so – “it’s not a walk in the park,” Moultrie said. “I’ve put on tummy fat and get hot flushes which are things I’d never dreamed I would get.”

To cap it all, while on holiday with his wife Gillian in Tenerife last month, Scottish seniors golf internationalist Moultrie tripped and fell heavily, sustaining a painful injury to his hand and wrist that saw the medics on the island fit him with a brace. It was only when he got home and was advised to go to A & E at University Hospital Crosshouse that x-rays showed he had fractured the important scaphoid bone that needs time to heal and no sharp jolts.

“That was me unable to run for four weeks at least,” explained Moultrie, “but I have taken to walking on the beaches around here to keep jarring to a minimum and have been averaging 10 to 12 miles per outing. I must have walked hundreds of miles already and the other day I walked 14 miles.

“I had never fallen in my life and it was just my bad luck that it happened in the middle of training for the marathon.”

Many other individuals would have called it day and quit training, but in a remarkable show of determination, Moultrie has declared that, even if he has to walk part of the course, he will complete the London Marathon for the fourth time.

His family has had a brush with cancer before, his mother Elizabeth dying of it, and now Gillian and their two grown-up children have rallied round to support Moultrie in his huge task of beating his own cancer and running the London Marathon to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.

An avowedly private individual, he has also decided to speak about his illness in order to raise awareness of prostate cancer which will affect one in eight men, with Scots more likely than others in the rest of the UK to die from the disease because it was not detected early enough.

It was the realization that six of his friends from the golfing world had been diagnosed with prostate cancer that made the super-fit Moultrie ask his doctor for a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test which showed he had six or seven times the levels deemed normal. Further tests confirmed he had prostate cancer.

“It was last June and I had none of the usual symptoms so I was asked why I wanted the PSA test,” Moultrie recalled. “I’m glad I insisted as the earlier the cancer is detected the better your chance of surviving it.

“I must commend all the NHS staff that have been dealing me with treatment. They have been absolutely brilliant.

“The same goes for my trainer Gil Stevenson, who has been a tower of strength.”

A well-known member of the Scottish Seniors Golfing Society, Moultrie has the backing of his fellow golfers and with their help has already exceeded his personal £5,000 target for fundraising for Prostate Cancer UK by running the London Marathon – he completed the marathon three times some years ago, and knows it will be more difficult at the age of 59, but his mental approach could not be better and golf has played a huge part in that as has Pilates.

Moultrie says he wasn’t a very good golfer but his record belies that. As a junior, men’s and now senior player, the Royal Troon member has competed successfully at club, county, national and international level and last year represented Scotland in the R & A Home Internationals at West Kilbride Golf Club.

Still working as a chartered quantity surveyor, Moultrie was joined by his wife Gillian in taking up Pilates. An optometrist by profession, Gillian decided to become a full-time Pilates instructor and her husband also gained qualifications, both trained by the world-renowned Body Control Pilates organization.

Mixing Pilates with the Mind Factor systems devised by the famed performance coach Karl Morris, Moultrie created his own ‘Inner Caddie’ program with which he aims to help golfers help themselves to a better game, especially extending the playing days of seniors.

“It’s our age group in Scotland that must become more aware of prostate cancer,” said Moultrie. “It’s a message I want to spread and I hope to do that by running the London Marathon.”

You can find Paul Moultrie’s page here.

LIV Golf’s Sergio Garcia among those who signed on to help save a historic Scottish muni course

Proposals to downsize the nearly 100-year-old course from 18 holes to 12 or to shut it permanently were presented.

The only public golf course in the council area of West Dunbartonshire, Scotland — which sits just 20 miles northwest of Glasgow —  will not be closed or downsized, it has been confirmed. This news came following a signature campaign to preserve the course that included a note from LIV Golf’s Sergio Garcia.

The decision was announced at West Dunbartonshire Council’s (WDC) budget meeting last week.

Proposals to downsize Dalmuir Municipal Golf Course from 18 holes to 12 or to shut it permanently were presented to councilors.

Councilor Martin Rooney, leader of the council, confirmed the proposals had been rejected.

2024 LIV Golf Mayakoba
Sergio Garcia of Team Fireballs during the final round of the LIV Golf Mayakoba tournament at El Chamaleon Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

These proposals were included in a list of more than 50 money-saving options being considered by the council in an effort to plug its £8.3m budget gap.

Closure of the golf course would have meant there were no publicly accessible golf facilities within the region. The parkland-style golf course opened in 1928.

Prior to the meeting, which is currently being held at WDC’s headquarters on Church Street in Dumbarton, golfers at Overtoun Golf Club launched a petition to save the landmark course.

It has since received more than 7,500 signatures and backing from famous sporting figures including soccer star John McGinn, award-winning caddie Craig Connelly, and Spanish professional golfer Garcia.

Watch: Dog walker encounters forest floor ‘moving like the sea’

A man walking his dog in Scotland has captured footage showing peculiar earth movements attributed to an unrelenting storm.

A dog-walker in Scotland has captured footage showing peculiar earth movements attributed to an unrelenting storm.

The footage, captured Friday by David Nugent-Malone, shows the saturated forest floor rising and dipping as high winds bend trees and challenge their root systems.

“The woods were moving like the sea this morning,” Nugent-Malone described in the first of two accompanying clips.

In the second clip, the curious dog is shown walking onto a top-layer of soil as it separates and resettles in a phenomenon described as the earth “breathing deeply this morning.”

Storm Babet slammed Scotland with torrential rains and high winds beginning Thursday, triggering red “danger to life” warnings.

At least three fatalities have been attributed to the storm.

Photos: ‘Water logged courses’ force DP World Tour event to 54-hole Monday finish

More than three inches of rain have fallen since the end of play on Friday.

It’s all too fitting that a DP World Tour event featuring LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is being shortened to 54 holes.

The announcement was made Sunday that, due to water-logged courses, the final round of the 2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship would be pushed to Monday, Oct. 9, and that the pro-am event would be reduced to 54 holes, with the top 30 teams and ties making the 36-hole cut. Matt Fitzpatrick currently leads at 13 under, with Grant Forrest and Nacho Elvira T-2 at 12 under.

Weather has been an issue all week for the unique event played annually at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St. Andrews, three of the best golf courses in Scotland. The tour reported that about 3.11 inches of rain had fallen since the end of play Friday.

Aside from its trio of stellar hosts, the event made headlines early last week when it was reported that Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s lucrative Public Investment Fund (PIF), would play the pro-am under the pseudonym Andrew Waterman. Not only that, the 53-year-old is alongside LIV Golf’s Peter Uihlein (T-10) and was in the same group as R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers. Fellow LIV players Laurie Canter (T-16), Louis Oosthuizen (T-40) and Talor Gooch (72) are also in the field as non-members playing on sponsor invites.