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Nairn Golf Club ready to welcome players to biggest amateur tournament in the world


By Will Clark

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THE best amateur golf players in the world will swing into action next week at Nairn Golf Club to compete for The Amateur Championship.

Colin Sinclair is the new chief executive at The Nairn Golf Club.
Colin Sinclair is the new chief executive at The Nairn Golf Club.

Final preparations are being made to welcome 144 of the top non-professional golf players on the planet to battle for the title which starts on Monday.

Nairn golfers Fraser Fotheringham, Calum Scott and Sandy Scott will all be competing in the tournament hoping to come out on top where victory would give them automatic entry into the top majors such as The Open, US Open and US Masters.

Nairn Golf Club chief executive officer Colin Sinclair says things are going according to plan as they prepare to host the tournament next week.

“Preparations are going well and the course is looking fantastic and ready for the players,” he said.

“The R and A are coming to town this week to ensure everything is in place and we are all good to go on Monday.

“We are in the process of fine tuning the course and putting in the final attentions to detail.

“The course is in the finest condition and hopefully the warm weather continues and creates a bit of rough to make it more testing for the players who are the best amateurs in the world.

“We are excited to welcome all the players and possibly have a local winner.

“But there is a good quality field from overseas too and we look forward to seeing them.”

Nairn Golf Club were originally due to co-host the tournament with Nairn Dunbar Golf Club.

But due to the impact of the pandemic and Covid-19 guidelines, organisers decided to stage the tournament at Nairn Golf Club only.

The restrictions also mean the tournament does not have the same international field as it traditionally does, but nations represented at the tournament include Australia, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as the home nations.

As well as a major tournament for Nairn Golf Club to host, Sinclair says it is a boost for the town as well.

“The Amateur Championship is the biggest amateur golf championship in the world,” he said.

“It is huge for the club and the town because it is putting Nairn as a destination to come and play golf on the map.

“Our course is outstanding and we have everything in Nairn for people to come to play golf as well as non-golfers too.

“This is showing that Nairn and the Highlands is a place which can attract major golf tournaments and with the Highland hospitality that comes with it I’m sure we will put on a great show.”

The first stage of the championship involves 144 players playing two rounds of 18 holes.

The 64 lowest scores over the 36 holes will compete in the match play stage of the championship.

Each match consists of one round of 18 holes, with the final over 36 holes.


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