PAUL LAWRIE'S TARTAN PRO TOUR STARTS TODAY

Paul Lawrie's new Tartan Pro Tour starts today at Carnoustie and ten women professionals have signed-up to take on the challenge.

Former Open champion Paul Lawrie will host the inaugural event of his new Tartan Pro Tour at Carnoustie today.

There are six 36-hole events on this year's Tartan Pro Tour. The first is being held on the Championship course at Carnoustie, where Lawrie won The Open in 1999. There is a full field of 72 professionals, men and women, competing for a prize fund of £19,000 with a £4,000 first prize. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic spectators are not allowed.

PGA Professional and International Referee Charles Dernie will be out and about on the course in his role as a guest referee.

The women professionals teeing it up against the men at Carnoustie are:

LET Tour players: Two-time LET winner Kylie Henry, Kelsey MacDonald and Michele Thomson.

LPGA / LET Tour players: 2016 LET Order of Merit winner Beth Allen, who is an American but is based in Scotland, and Ireland's rising star, the former World Amateur No. 1, Leona Maguire.

Both Allen and Maguire will join Henry, MacDonald and Thomson in the field for the AIS Scottish Open at The Renaissance later this month. Maguire has also qualified for the AIG Women's Open which follows at Troon.

LET Access Series Tour players: Gabrielle MacDonald, Heather MacRae, Hannah McCook, Rachael Taylor and Jane Turner.

Paul Lawrie launched the tour this year to give professional golfers, male and female, the chance to play some tournament golf in Scotland after their tour schedules were decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.