2025 Platinum
A level-par 72 by Robert Arnott over the tough Dundonald Links was good enough for victory in yesterday’s (Tues) Scottish qualifying round of the flagship event for Britain and Ireland’s top club professionals.
The 45-year-old from Bishopbriggs Driving Range, one of the Tartan Tour’s most consistent players in recent years, will return to the Ayrshire course with the Scottish contingent of 21 qualifiers for the 72-hole Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship, from June 16-19.
While scores in the blustery conditions were ballooning into the 80’s among some of his fellow competitors, Arnott fired halves of 36, a birdie and bogey in each, and he can now entertain the prospect of pursuing his second selection for the PGA Cup team (the club pros’ version of the Ryder Cup) to meet the USA in September over Carrick at Cameron House on the shores of Loch Lomond. Arnott played in GB & I’s losing side in Florida six years ago.
Despite running up four penalty shots, Downfield’s Ken Hutton still mustered a 74, tying with Glasgow’s Nick Walton, Sandy Strachan (Deer Park) and Paul Wardell (Whitekirk).
Hutton had to lift out from ditches at the long third and short sixth holes, and added to his woes by driving out of bounds at the par-four 12th.
“But I managed four birdies and generally struck the ball very well”, said Hutton. “I had a practice round last week when the wind was blowing in exactly the opposite direction, so club selection was that bit tougher.”
Highlight of his round, coming immediately after two dropped shots, was a nine-iron second shot at the 395-yard eighth, which travelled 145 yards downwind, finishing up four feet from the pin, for his third birdie of the front nine.
Walton, who’s 45 and has played much of his golf in the north of England and on the Hooters’ Tour in the USA, recovered well from a disastrous double-bogey/bogey start. Out in 39, three over, he made late saving gains at the 17th and 18th for an inward 35.
Strachan, the former head pro at Bathgate, handed in a scorecard boasting four birdies and no bogeys. The down side was the appearance of three double bogeys. Wardell, after a good 35 out, double-bogeyed the 10th and dropped another at the 460-yard 16th for an inward 39.
The leading 21 players from a field of almost 80 will return next month in pursuit of a £78,000 prize fund, from which the winner picks up £10,000, and the leading 10 finishers are exempt from regional qualifying for the 2010 Open at St Andrews.
