Scotland’s Louise Duncan announced in a press conference today that she is set to turn professional and make her debut at this year’s Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, taking place at Dundonald Links, 28-31 July. Duncan is one of two recipients of VisitScotland’s sponsor invitation along with Aberdeen native Hannah McCook. The invitations come as part of VisitScotland’s long standing commitment to women’s golf and the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open.
Duncan, a Stirling University graduate, transitions into professional golf after a stellar amateur career winning the 2021 Women’s Amateur Championship, the R&A Student Tour series in Portugal, and the Smyth Salvar award last year after finishing in tied 10th place at the Women’s Open in Carnoustie. Growing up just 15 miles away from this year’s championship venue Dundonald Links, Duncan benefits from extensive experience in links golf and is one of the six Scots in the field that will be in the running for the Jock MacVicar Leading Scot award.
The 22-year-old commented on receiving the invitation: “I am honored to have been chosen as one of VisitScotland’s Invitations for this year’s Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open. I have been thinking about making the transition into professional for quite some time now and it just feels so right to be making my professional debut at my home open and also at a club which is just down the road from where I grew up learning to playing golf. I am so grateful to VisitScotland for all their support during my amateur career. I am so excited to make my first professional appearance in such a strong competitive field and at an amazing venue like Dundonald Links”.
Hannah McCook is the other beneficiary of the 2022 invitation for the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open this summer. This invitation has been deferred from the 2020 tournament when Hannah was unable to participate due to hip surgery. She is back to full health and ready to take on the challenges at one of Scotland’s leading links courses. McCook graduated from the University of Stirling and during her time there was the captain of the Ladies Golf Team winning both the British University Championship and the Scottish University Championship. In 2018 she reached the final stage of the Ladies European Tour qualifying school and shortly after made the decision to turn professional.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “VisitScotland is strong supporter of the women’s game in Scotland, and we are delighted be able to provide the platform for Louise to make her professional debut at this year’s Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald. We’re also pleased to be able to honor Hannah’s invite from the 2020 tournament in such a strong field that will see eight of world’s top ten players teeing it up.
“Scotland has a stellar summer of golf events this year, with two huge weeks of golf in the men’s game having already taken place, and we can look forward to just a momentous fortnight in the women’s game. VisitScotland remains fully committed developing the women’s game in Scotland by continuing to grow our national Women’s Open, particularly as there is such a strong contingent of Scottish female professional coming into the game.”
Duncan and McCook will be joining their fellow Scots, Gemma Dryburgh, Michele Thomson, Kelsey MacDonald, and Kylie Henry in the 144-player field competing for $2 million, which includes eight out of the world top ten, 21 Major Champions and 27 Solheim Cup stars.
Tournament title sponsor, Trust Golf has invited six Thai players who are not otherwise exempt into the field at Dundonald Links this summer. This comes as part of their mission to build a pathway for Thai golfers on an international stage.
Pornanong Phatlum, a two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, she also holds victories on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour, All Thailand Golf Tour, and the Thai LPGA Tour. Trichat Cheenglab who’s career best finish came in the 2019 the PTT Thailand LPGA Masters, where she finished 6th. Wichanee Meeechai, who will make her fourth appearance in the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open this summer having finished in the top-20 on two occasions. Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras, an Epson Tour player making her third appearance in the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open after five top-20 finishes this season.
After finishing in the top two spots in the recent Trust Golf Links Series, Channettee Wannaseas and Arpichaya Yubol are the final two recipients of the Trust Golf invitations. Wannasean is an 18-year-old rising star on Thailand’s domestic circuit, who has claimed six wins so far including most recently at the Trust Golf Links series in England, and Yubol is an an up-and-coming player on the Thai LPGA Tour who just won the Trust Golf Links Series at Musselburgh Golf Club this past weekend.
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