Tournament in Numbers:
The world’s best players including 18major winners, have arrived at Dundonald Links for the 2024 ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open. Among them, defending Champion, Celine Boutier, 2024 Amundi Evian Champion, Ayaka Furue, and Lydia Ko, the 2024 Olympic Gold Medallist who qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame following her win in Paris on Saturday, spoke to the media today.
5 out of the world’s top 10
18 major winners with 27 titles between them
31 nationalities represented
46 LPGA winners with 177 titles between them
36 Olympians including the 2024 Gold and Silver medallists
6 past champions
33 players making their debut
Lydia Ko, fresh from her gold medal success in Paris said of the 2024 Olympics’ impact…
“I think golf returned to the Olympics in 2016 in over a hundred years, and we had some unusual circumstances with Zika and COVID in the past two Games, and this one is kind of the first one before it’s back to normal. We had 30,000 fans every day, and I think it was truly a celebration of sport and finally golf was fully integrated into the Games.
So, I do hope that many more juniors get inspired, not only by myself but by seeing the games and get the dream of them hoping to become an Olympian and represent their country one day.
And playing in the Olympics and representing New Zealand was one of the biggest honours of my life. I think it’s definitely a big dream that I think many juniors, not golfers, but in other sports, should dream of becoming because if I can do it, they can do it, too, for sure.”
On deciding to play the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open…
“I just wanted to kind of stick to my schedule, and I think it’s a good thing, especially kind of playing into something as big as The Open. We don’t have the most beautiful day today but I feel like it’s like a welcome to Scotland kind of a thing.
But I always enjoy playing links, and we don’t really get to play these type of golf courses very much in the year. It’s a really good preparation for next week. Yeah, I think I’d rather play and – whether it’s good or bad this week – to just be on that momentum of competitively playing, and I know I get a good three weeks off after The Open. So I’m excited to have another fun couple weeks here.”
Celine Boutier, the defending champion, returns to Dundonald Links having finished 18th at the Olympics last week…
“It’s very nice to be coming back here. A lot of good memories here and especially going around the course, kind of start remembering some of the shots and the holes that you played. So it’s very fun. I feel like I’ve definitely had a lot of success on this course, and it’s great to be able to come back.”
On being unfazed by the inclement weather…
“I think it’s part of the experience of Scottish courses. You kind of want to have conditions like that because that’s what makes it so special and that’s also how the courses are designed, also, with the wind and sometimes like you can also see how they design a specific hole with a certain wind and stuff like that. I think it’s very nice to be able to play in those conditions because it’s so unique to these types of courses, and that’s also why you come here.”
Ayaka Furue, the 2022 champion returns to Scotland as the most recent major winner in the field…
“I’m excited to come back here, and I feel this place is very beautiful, this course, and I’m so happy to be here. My caddie is from Scotland, and I’m so happy to be here again with him. I’m staying in his house for a few days, and I enjoy traveling around here.”
Credit: ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open.