Association of Golf Writers president Jock MacVicar passed away in April this year at the age of 83 and has been honoured with a new trophy.
Richie Ramsay has won the inaugural Jock MacVicar AGW Memorial Award for the leading home player at the 2021 abrdn Scottish Open.
Association of Golf Writers president MacVicar passed away in April this year at the age of 83 and was honoured with a new trophy at the second Rolex Series event of the 2021 Race to Dubai.
The trophy was commissioned by the European Tour on the AGW’s behalf to commemorate the man known fondly by friends and colleagues as ‘The Doyen’.
"I obviously knew Jock from my young age. I played Scottish Boys' and he was relentless in basically looking after the right stories about the boys growing up," Ramsay said.
"I've known him from when I started playing all the way up to The European Tour. It was always quite nice to see a familiar face and someone who was passionate about what he did but also passionate about Scottish success on the European Tour and kids coming through.
"He always looked to see a saltire on the board. He was always someone that would call you, text you, say, can I do an interview, you would always take your time out because he was just such a nice person, genuine sort of nice person, and he always had good things to say about you.
"I think he was such a nice person, but sometimes that distracted from how good an article he would write. He knew me from a young kid and obviously when I was younger, I was a bit fiery. He was always very good with me and knew how to come off and if maybe I when maybe in the best of moods. But when it was Jock, you took time for him.
"And I think all the boys do that on the Scottish circuit. You would always see him and if he needed a word, it wasn't a problem. I think that feeling resonated with the rest of the journos and the guys on the European Tour.
"He was just a very kind-hearted guy and someone who wanted to see Scottish success, didn't matter who it was. He just wanted to see that saltire on the leaderboard."
There was a strong Scottish contingent who were in contention for the tournament outright as Ramsay and David Law were four shots off the leaders ahead of the final round.
Ramsay, who is attached to the Renaissance Club, and Law were at ten under par with Scotland's leading player, Robert MacIntyre, just one adrift of the duo.
MacIntyre joined them at ten under following a birdie at the second on Sunday as the home favourites battled it out.
Ramsay nudged ahead with one of his own at the third and climbed to 12 under with another gain at the seventh before Connor Syme set the target of nine under.
Law bounced back from five bogeys and one picked up shot to reach the same mark as Syme following birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th.
Ramsay dropped back to ten under after successive bogeys from the tenth and MacIntyre took the initiative with his second gain of the day at the 16th hole as he carded a 69 for a total of 11 under.
Ramsay had four holes to pick up two shots to claim the Jock MacVicar AGW Memorial Award and he did just that with back to back birdies at the 16th and 17th before the hooter sounded as play was suspended for 90 minutes due to thunder and lightning.
A par was all that was needed for Ramsay to lift the new trophy, which he did in composed fashion to card a final round 69.
MacIntyre said: "They said that would be another prize, top prize as a Scotsman, as an Argyll man, Jock MacVicar was golf. Everything he had done in his life was for golf.
"It would mean the absolute world to me, personally knowing him pretty well over the last kind of ten years. He was such a good man. I'd love to have that award."
