STEP BY STEP
Aphibarnrat won the inaugural event 12 months ago, had to be scrapped.
Due to the fact he is preparing for the Olympics in Rio, Aphibarnrat is not defending his crown but, with three of the world’s top-50 players, including Ryder Cup contenders Matt Fitzpatrick and Chris Wood, in the 64-man field, the Aberdonian has secured a stronger overall line-up than last year.
“Sergio [Garcia] put his name to the Spanish Open and Rory [Mcilroy] has done the same with the Irish Open, and it does help in the sense of what we are trying to do in terms of getting the players involved,” said Bjorn, not just speaking as a competitor this week but also in his role as the European Tour’s tournament committee chairman.
“[European Tour chief executive] Keith Pelley has said for a long time now that it’s about players first. Getting the players more involved in the Tour has been a key thing for him, and I think this is a great way of doing it.
“Paul has had this idea for years and it’s great for the Tour that he has come with the idea rather than the other way around. Any tournament is difficult getting off the ground, but, now this one is, I think it will grow and I think it will also be easier for Paul to attract a field in the future. There’s so much big golf around the world at the moment, so it obviously depends where it falls in an individual’s schedule. But I think we would all do anything to support each other.”
Thewaylawriesupportsgolf at grass-roots level is possibly second to none on the European Tour. His junior foundation inthenorth-easthasnowbeen replicated by Stephen Gallacher in the Lothians and Borders while Lawrie, through the two golf centres that now bear his
0 Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn will line up in a 64-man field when the Aberdeen Asset Management Paul name, one on the outskirts of Aberdeen and the other in Banchory, also provides support to around a dozen Scottish
THOMAS BJORN professionals. “I think it’s different for everyone, but I definitely think you get to an age where you start realising what the game has given you,” said Bjorn. “When you are 25, you are focusing on winning golf tournaments and trying to win majors. Paul has watched his own kids playing a lot of golf and I think you start realising how easy it is to give something back.
“I think all the top players do something in that respect. Some do it through charities while it is definitely becoming more fashionable to have foundations. I think it is important that players do these sort of things. It also gives purpose to yourself as well, because we often have a lot of free time.” As well as being competitors themselves, both Bjorn and Lawrie will be wearing their Ryder Cup hats this week, having been appointed by captain Darren Clarke at the same time as Padraig Harrington earlier in the year and subsequently being joined in Europe’s backroom team by Ian Poulter and, most recently, Sam Torrance.
English duo Fitzpatrick and Wood head into this tournament occupying automatic spots.
But with the heat having been turned up in recent weeks by the likes of Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Soren Kjeldsen and now Tyrrell Hatton after his brace of top-10 fin-
“Any tournament is difficult getting off the ground, but, now this oneis,ithinkitwillgrow and it will be easier for Paul to attract a field in the future”