As almost half of the world’s top 60 players prepare to tee it up at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open tomorrow, pros within the strongest field in the history of the event showed their support for the tournament’s official charity during today’s Pro-Am in a rather traditional way – by wearing Scottish tartan trews.
For every professional who donned the colourful tartan trews at Royal Aberdeen, Title Sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management donated £500 to The ARCHIE Foundation - the official charity of the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, Children's wards in Inverness and Elgin and all child health across the North of Scotland.
Nine of the leading golfers entered into the Scottish spirit of the event and wore tartan trews during their Pro-Am at Royal Aberdeen: Martin Laird and Stephen Gallacher were joined by local Aberdeenshire golfers, Paul Lawrie and Richie Ramsay, wearing their national dress with pride. The English trio of European Ryder Cup stars, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Lee Westwood also joined the party with flamboyant Miguel Angel Jimenez and Darren Clarke completing the star line-up.
For the Scots involved in the ‘fashion parade’, wearing tartan isn’t anything out of the ordinary, whereas for the other stars, including 2013 US Open champion, Justin Rose, the new outfit was something slightly different.
Rose said: “Tartan isn’t usually my first choice of outfit during a Pro-Am but I’ve really enjoyed wearing them today and taking part in this great initiative for such a worthy cause. Thanks to Aberdeen Asset Management and The European Tour for making it happen, it’s something all the players are keen to get involved in.”
Ian Poulter, not shy in standing out from the crowd in a different style of clothing agreed. He said: “Being able to wear my tartans for charity here today has been great and a nice way for the players to help raise money for the Championship’s official charity.”
The ARCHIE Foundation are making the difference for more than 130,000 children every year, with the support of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open helping to transform the journey back to good health of countless local children.
Paul Lawrie, who helped launch the official charity with Richie Ramsay earlier in the year knows just how much of a difference the support can make.
Lawrie said: “Having visited Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital on a number of occasions, I am very familiar with the outstanding work the Foundation does on behalf of the sick children and their families in the North of Scotland. With the event coming to Royal Aberdeen in 2014 it is appropriate that we are able to raise valuable funds for the organisation through fantastic initiatives such as wearing these tartans today.”
This is the second year in succession that players have been encouraged to wear tartan trews during the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open with the title sponsor and European Tour keen to continue with the tradition.
Lynda Affleck, Head of Charitable Giving at Aberdeen Asset Management, said: “After the success of last year’s tartan trews idea, we feel this is a good way of helping us raise extra funds for our chosen charity which we would like to continue year on year. It also gives us the opportunity to raise awareness of the very important work carried out by The ARCHIE Foundation.
We are delighted that so many top golfers have agreed to take part and I am sure everyone will agree they look very smart in the tartans they are wearing here at Royal Aberdeen.”
David Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer for The ARCHIE Foundation, said: “We are delighted that in the year of our tenth anniversary appeal for the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (‘High 10 for ARCHIE’), we are able to raise valuable funds through this fantastic event and this tartan trews initiative. We are extremely grateful for this and to all the players for so generously giving their time and contributions to engage with the charity and help support our sick children. This will all help to make such a difference for them.”
