Staysure PGA Seniors Championship tournament director Sir Jamie Byrkmyre thinks European golf’s best senior players will relish the challenge presented by Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire this week.
The championship course at Menie Estate, near Balmedie, is all set to host its first big event from Wednesday to Sunday.
While Sir Jamie predicts the Dr Martin Hawtree-designed track will present a “hell of a test”, he does not think it will faze the Major champions and Ryder Cup stars who will take it on.
Sir Jamie said: “It’s going to be a test, because very few of them have played here.
“I was running an event two weeks ago and everybody was talking about coming here. They’re extremely excited about it.
The tournament village being constructed ahead of the European Legends Tour event at Trump International Golf Links:
“We’ve got some great names coming to play, and it’s a hell of a test of golf.
“They are going to have to play well to score well round here – particularly if the weather is a little bit troublesome. That will make it even more difficult.
“But these guys are so good, they love a great test, and it doesn’t scare them at all. This place will really give them something to think about.”
Despite this week’s European Legends Tour field containing the likes of two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, and Open champions Tom Lehman and Aberdeen’s-own Paul Lawrie, Sir Jamie doesn’t think any player at Trump International Golf Links will be able to “tear it apart”.
Giving his view on which factors could affect the leaderboard, he said: “If you’re the slightest bit off the fairway here, I think you’ll be playing three off the tee.
“How long we play the course will be another factor in how they score.”
As with all links golf, the weather will be an “enormous factor” which determines scoring, Sir Jamie added.
While the conditions for Wednesday’s 18-hole Wapp Celebrity Series shoot-out – which will see a host of famous faces play the course – look like being sunny, the weather is predicted to become wet and windy from Thursday onwards, and could have a bearing on the professional play.
Celebrity Series event can help get north-east kids into golf
Celebrities from across sport and entertainment are set to play on the opening day of the event in Aberdeenshire.
The Press and Journal revealed a host of well-known names last week, and can also now confirm Harry Potter’s Weasley twins, James and Oliver Phelps, will be taking part in the Celebrity Series day.
Tournament boss Sir Jamie hopes the mix of elite golfers, as well as celebrities who will be familiar to non-golf fans, will encourage the north-east public to come along to the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship across the week – and help get kids hooked on the game.
He said: “I think Wednesday will give people who want to come and get some selfies, get some autographs (the chance) – kids who will hopefully recognise some of the celebrities coming, (and) might want to come back and watch golf.
“That’s what we’re trying to do with that event. To broaden the tournament to people who aren’t normal golf fans, because the normal golf fans will come and watch our professionals at the weekend.
“We’re trying to get more people into golf and there will be some really nice activities here for kids to have a go at golf, and for people who have never played golf to have a go.”
Sir Jamie, who was at Trump International Golf Links last week overseeing the final preparations ahead of the Legends Tour’s visit, revealed spectators will get an “up-close and personal” experience from Wednesday to Sunday, and added: “We’re not roping and staking the golf course.
“If you look at the lie of the land, you can’t really send people up and down the dunes, so we’re going to allow the spectators to walk after the players.
“They can actually walk the fairway with the players and stand 20 or 30 yards behind a player when he hits his shot and see the contour of the holes from a player’s perspective.
“You don’t get that experience many places.”
‘I’m sure there will be many other events to come here in the future’
As a tournament director with 35 years’ experience – including 16 years running the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth for the main DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour – Sir Jamie knows the golf event experience and top-level golf courses.
Sir Jamie concurs with the view the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship is just the start for the golf club, which opened in 2012, saying: “It’s an astonishing layout, it’s in great condition, it’s in the most beautiful setting you could imagine, and you’ve got incredibly welcoming people, so there’s no acid test for this golf course.
“This is a good start and I’m sure there will be many other events to come here in the future.”
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