The Scottish Open is in danger of losing its prime position in the week before the Open Championship unless a new sponsor can be found.
That the view of European Tour CEO George O’Grady who revealed French Open officials have already been in discussion with the Tour with a view to possibly moving their event from two weeks before golf’s oldest Major to just seven days prior.
European Tour CEO, George O'Grady.
The future of the Scottish Open was thrown into doubt last month when Barclays, who had been sponsoring the event since 2001, announced they were withdrawing sponsorship with immediate effect.
“It’s disappointing Barclays have chosen not to go on, and taken a long time to tell us, in a sense,” said O’Grady to reporters.
“But I see this now as a wonderful opportunity to sell a tournament. The Scottish Open “owns” the week rather than the sponsor owning the week.
“So we’re delighted to say we have quite a bit of interest but then interest and certainty are two different things.”
In fact, O’Grady travelled to Scotland last week for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship where he met two key French Open officials – Patrick Kron, Chairman and CEO of electronics giant Alstom that sponsor the French Open and Pascal Grizot, President of the successful bid to bring the 2018 Ryder Cup to France.
Kron was competing alongside former European Open winner, Christian Cevaer while Grizot partnered Gregory Bourdy, a three-time Tour winner.
The loss of Barclays is the second national Open in Europe to be struggling to secure financial backing after on-going concerns to find backers for the Irish Open.
However if a new sponsor should be signed for the Scottish Open, O’Grady indicated there is no guarantee of the event returning to Castle Stuart.
“Initially, we have an agreement to go back to Castle Stuart but there are clauses which mean that we won’t be breaking anything if we don’t go back,” said O’Grady.
“There are clauses which mean that we won’t be breaking anything if we don’t go back but it is the intention to go back as we’re very happy there and while we won’t stay there forever I agree with Phil Mickelson who said it was ideal preparation for an Open.
“Castle Stuart tests every kind of links shot, and Phil said that the winner of the Open would play at Castle Stuart, and that proved to be true. The players we spoke, all to a man supported it.”
And despite receiving two recent phone calls from Donald Trump, O’Grady ruled out the Scottish Open being played at Trump’s ‘Trump International Golf Links’ at Balmedie near Aberdeen in Scotland that opens to the public on July 1st next year.
“Trump has rung me twice, once from Australia and once from New York, offering commiserations and saying if there’s anything he can do to help,” said O’Grady.
“But there is no way the Trump course will be ready until 2014. So we’re not going to go to his course, if we ever do, as it’s too early.
“I’m on record as saying it’s spectacular and they’re doing everything to make it good, but it’s not going to be ready.
“He was saying if there was anything he could do, just ask.
“Obviously, he might say ‘no’ if he couldn’t but he’s in love with his golf course and his business, and the time may come I’m certain when his course will host a big golf event of some sort one day, because he wants it and the venue warrants it.
“But we have a readymade product in Castle Stuart but if the right sponsor is found then we have Castle Stuart with us and we want to go back there.”
O’Grady indicated the Tour was hopeful of securing a new sponsor before the end of the year, and before the full 2012 Race to Dubai schedule is released.
To date, the Tour has released the 2012 schedule only up to and including the U.S. Open in June.
“There is a cut-off date where we have to say, we can’ wait on this anymore, so a tournament is going to have to go into that time slot,” he said.
“That’s simply sound commercial principles.
“There is enough of the world’s top players who want to play the week before the Open and on a links golf course, plus that week has more chance of getting good American players than any other.
“Jim Furyk said to me last week if we had a plane that could get him from Inverness to Lytham on Sunday night, count him in.
“So you’d have to be a philistine not to have enjoyed Castle Stuart.”
The Scottish Open was first played in 1972 at Downfield and has enjoyed being the final warm-up tournament prior to The Open since then.
