Wild card Mike Browne has completed the field for the EDGA Scottish Open - the new 36-hole tournament for Golfers with Disability that will run alongside the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, on July 13-14, 2019.
The Englishman, who secured his most recent title at the Czech Disabled Golf Masters last week, will tee it up alongside nine players who have qualified for the event through the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, over the weekend of the European Tour’s third Rolex Series event of the season.
Mike joins Brendan Lawlor and Adem Wahbi – who came third and fourth in the Czech Republic – as well as Christopher Biggins, Joakim Björkman, Paul Ellison, George Groves, Shane Luke, Geoff Nicholas and Reinard Schuhknecht.
Continuing the drive for inclusivity within golf, the EDGA Scottish Open field will tackle the same course setup as the European Tour professionals at the Renaissance Club, teeing off approximately one hour and 40 minutes before play begins in the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open on Saturday and Sunday morning.
With both the European Tour and EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association) striving to create a lasting legacy through the event, EDGA is offering free golf lessons with professional coaches to spectators with a disability throughout the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, from July 10-14.
EDGA will share the Inclusive Golf Stand in the championship village with Leuchie House, one of the tournament’s Official Charity Partners and Scotland’s only dedicated respite centre, which offers caring respite breaks to people with long term neurological conditions. The European Tour and EDGA will also be conducting outreach programmes in the wider community.
By encouraging people with a disability to try the game at the Renaissance Club, EDGA is continuing to work towards its stated objective of introducing 500,000 people to golf.
The season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai will host a second tournament run by the European Tour and EDGA at Jumeirah Golf Estates. It will be a similar model, but the tournament will be played on Friday and Saturday (November 22-23), with eight players eligible for that event.
Scoring for both tournaments will feature on the European Tour’s website and App for fans to follow, while highlights of both contests will form part of the world feed broadcast. The winner in Scotland will also take part in the main prizegiving ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
EDGA President and IGF Head of Disability and Inclusion, Tony Bennett, said: “The two events in Scotland and Dubai are exciting developments and help to illustrate that golf has the potential to be the most inclusive game of all.
“By offering free golf lessons to people with a disability at the Renaissance Club we hope to engage even more people in the game we love, as we continue to see a rapid increase in interest in both participation and competition programmes.
"We’re delighted to welcome Mike Browne into the ten-player field for the inaugural EDGA Scottish Open, which promises to be an exciting and game-changing event for our sport, and we look forward to showcasing the skills of the field at The Renaissance Club next week.”
Entry List – 2019 EDGA Scottish Open
Category 1 - The leading six available players from the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) week 20.
George Groves - England
Brendan Lawlor - Ireland
Adem Wahbi - Belgium
Geoff Nicholas - Australia
Shane Luke - Australia
Joakim Björkman – Sweden
Category 2 - The leading home nation player in the WR4GD
Paul Ellison - Scotland
Category 3 - USGA nominated player
Christopher Biggins USA
Category 4 - Golf RSA nominated player
Reinard Schuhknecht - South Africa
Wild Card
Mike Browne – England
The Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open is being played for the first time at The Renaissance Club - which was founded in 2008 and nestles on 300 picturesque acres along the Firth of Forth. Scotland’s national open is the perfect day out for all the family, with fantastic food and drink outlets in the championship village as well as retail experiences and entertainment for all ages.
Fans can buy tickets to see some of the world’s best golfers – including official Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open hospitality packages – atwww.asiscottishopen.com
