LLOYD SALTMAN returns to action on home soil tomorrow in the European Challenge Tour's £174,000 Scottish golf challenge at the Macdonald Cardrona resort near Peebles.
The Craigielaw rookie, who claimed a season-best share of second in the Reale Challenge de Espana in Madrid earlier this month, is one of a host of Lothians hopefuls competing for the fifth biggest prize fund on the second tier circuit.
Saltman ha
s good memories of the Borders course, having shared fourth place as an amateur in this event a year ago, and the former Walker Cup star, 22, said: "It's great to have the competition almost on my doorstep and it's nice to be back in Scotland after quite a bit of early-season travelling. This week I'm staying at home and driving down to Cardrona each day and, hopefully, that kind of laid-back preparation will see me up in contention at the top of the leaderboard."
Saltman is joined in an impressive field by big brother Elliot, a runner-up on the PGA EuroPro Tour this year, Edinburgh's 2001 PGA champion Andrew Oldcorn and Prestonpans' Raymond Russell, another former European Tour winner.
David Drysdale of Dunbar and Dalmahoy's Jamie McLeary, runner-up in the Scottish Challenge last year, also compete as does Swanston's Scottish Amateur champion John Gallagher.
Other top Scots in the line-up include Glasgow's Andrew McArthur, a winner on the Challenge Tour this month, former US Amateur champ Richie Ramsay and the in-form Chris Doak, a six-time winner on the Tartan Tour this season.
The full article contains 267 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
