Craigielaw gets 'stamp of approval' with qualifier for 153rd Open

A Regional Qualifier for the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush will be held at Craigielaw on 23 June after it replaced Goswick on the list of 15 venues across Great Britain and Ireland used by The R&A for the 18-hole shoot-outs.

It will be one of two Scottish venues, with Kilmarnock (Barassie) once again staging an event on the west coast as players battle it out to progress to Final Qualifying.

“The club and its members are honoured and delighted to have been chosen by The R&A to host one of the Regional Qualifying events for this year’s 153rd Open at Royal Portrush,” said Craigielaw’s long-serving club manager Derek Scott.

“There has been a great deal of work carried out on the course over the last few years and we see hosting one of the Regional Qualifying events as a stamp of approval for all the efforts that have been put in.”

On the course, meanwhile, Craigielaw members continue to do the club proud when it comes to picking up silverware, with a win in the East Lothian Winter League Stroke Play event being the latest success.

Angus Carrick, the 2021 Scottish Amateur champion, joined forces with Guy Dalziel, Kenny Glen, Marc Reid, Scott Cunningham and Alexander Yuill to land the title at Royal Musselburgh.

With a 218 total, Craigielaw won by two shots from Tantallon, represented by Jack Collingswood, Aidan Lawson, Nathan Tait, Ryan Killorn, Nick Peoples and Gareth Pugh.

Gullane, with Kenny Wright, Alan Smith, Thomas Simmons, David Dunn-Butler, Scott Walker and Stevie Marshall flying the flag, finished third on 226.

After beating newly-crowned league champions Gullane 3-2 in the semi-finals last Sunday, Craigielaw will now face Longniddry in this week’s League Cup decider at Kilspindie.