Guide to the Ladies Scottish Open 2020

 Image: @LadiesScottish

Take a look on social media over the next few days and you’ll see it’s buzzing with posts about the Ladies Scottish Open 2020.

Players are doing practice rounds, posting selfies from their flights over, waiting anxiously in hotels for lost clubs to arrive in time (fingers crossed) and exploring local landmarks like Edinburgh. It all adds to the excitement as we build closer to the start on August 13.

In fact, we only have two more days to go.

So, here’s everything you need to know about the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club.

Why is it such a big deal?

With the AIG Women’s Open taking place the following week, you can be forgiven for thinking that the Ladies Scottish is more of a warm up and not quite as important.

But while it might not be a Major tournament, or in fact the first of the year like the Women's Open, it’s still hugely significant.

Firstly, it’s the first event back on the Ladies European Tour since the South African Women’s Open in March.

Thanks to Justin Rose, most English players have had chance to play in the meantime, but this is where things really get serious again and back down to business.

We also look forward to all the reunion photos as players from overseas are reunited again.

On top of that, it marks professional women’s golf’s first return to Scotland since Europe’s remarkable triumph in the 2019 Solheim Cup last September (anyone else get goosebumps just thinking about it?)

Who is playing?

The 144-player field is made up of thirty nationalities, including three of the world’s top ten ranked players and 20 of the world’s top 50. All combined we have a line-up that’s even better than the 2019 edition.

Amongst them are seven Scottish nationals: Carly Booth, Gemma Dryburgh, Kylie Henry, Kelsey MacDonald, Catriona Matthew, Alison Muirhead and Michele Thomson.

The line-up also holds 15 Major winners (such as legend Laura Davies), 27 Solheim Cup players and last year’s defending champion of the Women’s Open, Hinako Shibuno.

What's the format?

The tournament is played in Championship Format over 72 holes of stroke play. After 36 hole the top 70 and ties go through to the final rounds.

Scotland's Gemma Dryburgh has the honour of hitting the first tee shot at 6.30am tomorrow (August 13) and she is playing with Spain's Azahara Munoz and Julia Engström (currently leading the Race to Costa del Sol rankings).

After winning back-to-back events at The Buckinghamshire and Royal St. George’s on the Rose Ladies Series and finishing T6 at the LPGA Drive On Championship, we can't think of a better person to start the event.

Gemma is one of the four players who were awarded invitations to the event, the others being Team Europe Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew, Japan’s Hinako Shibuno and the only Nigerian to gain a card on the LET, Georgia Obah. 

Gemma said: 

“Huge thanks to Aberdeen Standard Investments and VisitScotland for giving me this opportunity. I would have hated not being able to play in what is one of my favourite events of the year, especially when I have been playing so well lately. We are all very grateful and excited to get back to The Renaissance Club.”

Who is everyone talking about?

Alice Hewson

The 22-year-old from Hemel Hempstead has a 100 per cent winning record on the LET so far in 2020, given that she won the South African Women’s Open back in March. She also won the Grand Final of the Rose Ladies Series, beating off tough competition from the likes of Georgia Hall and Charley Hull.

After turning pro only last year after a tremendous amateur career that saw twice represent GB&I in the Curtis Cup and top the leaderboard in the European Ladies Amateur 2019, we know she is raring to go and has a promising career ahead of her.

Speaking to the LET ahead of her first Scottish Open she said:

“I’m extremely excited to get going, I’m pleased I was able to shake off some of the rust during the last few weeks ahead of what is effectively back-to-back majors for me. I had a taste of this sort of field as an amateur last year in the AIG Women’s British Open and I’m intrigued to see how far I’ve come since this time last year.”

Danielle Kang

The American has totally dominated the LPGA Tour since it resumed a few weeks ago.

Topping the leaderboard at two consecutive LPGA events, two weeks in a row, Danielle Kang lifted the trophy at both the Marathon Classic and the Drive On Championship in Ohio.

This keeps her securely at No.2 in the world rankings, and also the highest-ranked American female player.

We get a funny feeling she’ll be trying to make in three wins in a row on the Scottish links this week.

Georgia Oboh

Georgia Oboh has already made history by becoming the first Nigerian golfer to ever gain a card for the LET, and now she’s got her sights set on becoming the first Nigerian to win on the professional golf circuit.

As one of the chosen few to receive an official invitation to the tournament, she said: “I have been working very hard to be ready to play amongst so many of the world’s best players and I think it will give me invaluable experience.”

Then of course there's Georgia Hall fresh from two back-to-back wins on the Rose Ladies Series, and Charley Hull who was awarded the tour's American Golf Order of Merit.

Plus, England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff has been turning heads lately with her T2 finish at the Marathon Classic and fifth place position at the Drive On Championship.

Basically, there are lots of people vying for the top spot.

How can I catch the action?

Taking place from August 13 to 16, at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, the event is taking place behind-closed-doors and following internationally recognised COVID-19 protocol.

But the good news is that it is ‘made for TV’ with more content found on the @LadiesScottish social media platforms, too.

From Thursday to Saturday you can catch coverage on the following channels:

• Sky Sports: 12:00 – 16:00 BST
• Golf Channel: 07:00 – 11:00 EST

For more information visit www.ladiesscottishopen.com.

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