The 17th hole at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, will take on extra significance for both player and caddie at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 July.
The first golfer during the tournament to make a hole-in-one will win the new Genesis Electrified GV70, a stylish and sophisticated SUV for himself. His caddie will win a new all-electric Genesis GV60, a sleek, athletic crossover vehicle. Both models offer a perfect harmony of electric performance, design and technology.
Scotland’s national open is sponsored for the first time by luxury automotive brand Genesis, and is also the first event to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, counting on both the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex and the FedEx Cup Standings. The world-class field includes nine of the top ten and 14 of the top 15 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.
To help make the announcement, Billy Foster, long-time DP World Tour & PGA TOUR caddie who has just returned from a triumphant U.S. Open, met with local Scottish, Renaissance Club caddie Lewis Bain to recce the par-three 17th and understand just what it will take score an ace to win two of the new Genesis models.
To view a video of Billy Foster’s trip to The Renaissance Club, click here.
Foster, who caddies for Matt Fitzpatrick, U.S. Open champion and world number ten, commented: “This is a great opportunity for all of the caddies this week, so thank you to Genesis for the chance to win such a prestigious prize. I enjoyed having a look around the GV60, and meeting Lewis, and I'm looking forward to a good week at The Renaissance Club.
“I’ve been here a few years now and obviously, you don't want to be short on the 17th. The left pin positions are the best chance of a hole-in-one where everything feeds down to the hole.”
Local caddie Bain from Musselburgh is a plus-one handicap golfer and explains the stern test that awaits the Genesis Scottish Open field on the 203-yard par three later this week:
“The closing holes at The Renaissance Club are one of the toughest tests of golf you’ll find here in Scotland, with the highlight being the spectacular par-three 17th," he said. "It measures just over 200 yards with little to no change in elevation, meaning it’s a combination of the green and the weather that make it exciting. Picking the right club can be difficult with a prevailing wind from the west at the tee and the trees up at the green blocking out the wind.
"The green is split into two tiers and there’s fun to be had with the pin placements, tuck it behind the front left bunker and par is a good score. Once the pin is up on the middle of the top tier though, expect to see some birdies and hopefully a hole-in-one with players using the bank to feed the ball down to the hole.”
Dominique Boesch, Managing Director for Genesis Motor Europe said: “The chance for the caddie to also win a car aligns with the Genesis welcoming, inclusive brand promise. The caddies are the golfing equivalent of our Genesis Personal Assistants, dedicated to providing a bespoke and personal experience with integrity and excellence - and we want to celebrate this.
“We wish all the players good luck this week and will be keeping a close eye on the 17th hole, it will be a pleasure to hand over the keys to both player and caddie when, hopefully, the first hole in one is scored.”
