A return to Castle Stuart for Open

Castle Stuart Golf Links near Inverness will host the Scottish Open again next year, in the week before the 2012 Open Championship.

The confirmation of the date and venue is expected to be made in Dubai next month.

While the Tour is actively seeking a new title sponsor of the Scottish Open to replace Barclays, who withdrew their backing earlier this year, the resounding success of the 2011 tournament at its most northerly venue has ensured the event will return there from July 12-15, 2012.

Luke Donald of England captured the title earlier this year to consolidate his status as World Number One in a glittering season which also saw him capture the BMW PGA Championship, establish a commanding lead in The Race to Dubai and top of the US PGA Tour money list.

European Tour Chief Operating Officer, Keith Waters, today confirmed that Castle Stuart would host the 2012 edition.

He said that despite the inclement weather on the Saturday, it was a superb tournament over a course which received great praise from the players.

“The Scottish Open has traditionally enjoyed one of the strongest dates on the calendar, coming one week before The Open when all the best golfers in the world are assembling in the UK,” he added. “We are continuing our search for a new title sponsor, but we are confident that by returning to Castle Stuart we can expect another outstanding tournament. We would anticipate that prize money will be along similar lines to 2011.”