Irvine legend Alan Tait tees up Aidan Lawson for Scottish Boys' Open bid

Scottish Boys’ Order of Merit winner excited to be part of strong field for Scottish Golf event

Irvine Golf Club legend Alan Tait hosted Aidan Lawson at the Ayrshire club ahead of next week's Scottish Boys' Open.

Aidan Lawson, one of the rising stars in Scottish golf, is hoping some local knowledge passed on to him by an Irvine Bogside legend will help fuel his bid to be a contender in next week’s Scottish Boys’ Open at the Ayrshire club.

Alan Tait, who cut his golfing teeth at what is now officially called The Irvine Golf Club before going on to win the Scottish Boys’ Championship and now has a finger in lots of great initiatives in the sport’s cradle, first came across Lawson when he was a “tiny wee boy” in 2011 and has become used to the 14-year-old Bruntsfield Links player “taking fivers off him” regularly in games ever since.

Lawson underlined his potential when topping the Scottish Boys’ Order of Merit last year and now he is aiming to get his 2024 campaign off to a strong start as some of the best young players in Europe battle it out over 72 holes in an event that gets underway on Wednesday.

“It’s very early in the season and the early April weather may also be a factor,” said Lawson, who will be using this week’s Scottish Junior Tour season-opener at Brora and Royal Dornoch to polish off his preparations. “There is a strong international field as well, but I am very much looking forward to it.”

Tait describes next week’s venue as his “beloved Bogside” and the man who launched the Get Back to Golf Tour during Covid and also now runs the Cack Handers Tour and a new Scottish Women’s Amateur Tour hosted Lawson there last weekend.

“I remember playing with Aidan for the first time when he was a tiny wee boy at the West Course at Dalmahoy, as I’m close friends with his dad John,” recalled Tait, who still plays a fair bit himself, mainly on the PGA in Scotland Tartan Tour. “I’ve absolutely loved watching him develop over the years to the young star he is now.

"For a 14-year-old, he has it all. He’s seriously long off the tee, absolutely flushes his irons and, from 100-120 yards in, he’s one of the best I’ve ever seen - and that includes tour pros! He’s also really worked on his strength and fitness over the last few years, hence he is the strong strapping lad he is today. If you did not know his age, you would think he was 18 or 19. He’s also very mature, way beyond his 14 years.”

In an event won last year at Lundin by Ireland’s Sean Keeling, Lawson lines up in a home contingent that includes Paul Lawrie Academy members Koby Buchan (Cruden Bay), Boyd Gray (Duff House Royal), Jack Mann (Fortrose & Rosemarkie), Oli Blackadder (Deeside) and Ollie Robertson (Deeside), as well as Gullane’s Cameron Mukherjee.

“I was delighted to top the Order of Merit last year. It was the first time I had played in all the qualifiers, so it came as a bit of a surprise when I checked the leaderboard on the Scottish Golf website,” admitted Lawson. “Over the winter months, I have been going over regularly to St Andrews to work with my coach, Fintan Bonner. We have been working mainly on set up and initial takeaway amongst other things.

“More recently with the lighter nights, I’ve been putting in some putting practice in my garden. It’s a part of golf I have always enjoyed and playing in the match-play events with Scottish Boys has emphasised how important it is. I have also been doing regular strength and conditioning work at Oriam (Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre at Heriot Watt University on the outskirts of Edinburgh) with Scottish Golf as part of the Sports Institute of Scotland programme.”