Rai Edges Fleetwood In Scottish Open Playoff, Future Venues And LET Synergy TBD

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A week after a second place finish in the Irish Open, Aaron Rai took his first Rolex Series event and third European Tour victory at the historic Scottish Open. The 25-year-old Englishman made a handy up-and-down on the first playoff hole to edge Tommy Fleetwood, who missed a few key short putts, including on the Renaissance Club’s 18th green.

Martin Dempster with the full story for The Scotsman.

Here is the ending courtesy of the European Tour as autumnal light emerged and made for a rewarding finish:

One other fun note: both Rai and Fleetwood have participated in Gullane’s Wee Wonders program, started by their longtime pro Alasdair Good. Rai finished in the top ten of the 2018 Scottish just down the street at Gullane:

As for the future, Dempster reports on Martin Gilbert’s final state-of-the-Scottish as he retires from Aberdeen Standard and moves to a European Tour board role.

Gilbert says the four-year experiment of visiting the same course for both men’s and women’s Scottish Opens has not paid the hoped-for financial dividends and is likely to end.

Gilbert also hopes to see the event pursue Carnoustie or another top flight links while hoping the women visit a top-flight course perhaps no longer relevant in the men’s game.

Under Peter Dawson's reign as the R&A chief executive, the European Tour were told that Open Championship venues were off limits for the Scottish Open, but Gilbert is ready to test the water on that with Martin Slumbers.

"It would be fantastic," he said. "You would love to go to Carnoustie and St Andrews, though I don't know you'd ever get St Andrews. We'd also love to go back to the west coast as well at some stage. It's finding a course of the right calibre."

Asked if the plan was to keep the event on a links course, he added: It's obviously a decision between the Scottish Government, Aberdeen Standard Investments and the European Tour, but I'd say so.

"It's become a success since we moved it to a links course and I saw a video of players being asked about their favourite courses in Scotland and they were all links courses apart from one. I said to myself, 'that just shows'.”