The Scottish Open’s history is fascinating and surprising

Back in 1935, the Glasgow Herald’s comprehensive coverage of this game came under the banner “From the Golf Courses” and would document just about every clatter, batter, dink and dunt, from the cut-and-thrust of The Open to the nip-and-tuck at the Busby & Clarkston Ladies Club.

This particular year, there was a new event for the correspondent to cover; the inaugural Scottish Open over the King’s Course at Gleneagles. By the end of it, said correspondent was positively giddy with acclaim as Percy Alliss surged to a four-shot win with a closing 66.

“Probably never in British golf history has there been such a remarkable finish to a championship,” gushed The Herald’s scribbler on the scene. “An average of level fours as a standard of excellence was swept ruthlessly aside.”

Ah, the delightful golfing phrases of yore, eh?

After that initial staging almost 90 years ago, the Scottish Open was held again in 1936 before disappearing off the face of the earth until 1972.

In the land of milk and honey that is professional golf in its upper echelons these days, this week’s star-studded, cash-sodden Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance could make the riches of Babylon look like a flea market.

Now awash with big names and big bucks, it can be easy to forget about the Scottish Open’s years of relative hardship. In 1974, for instance, the championship was binned because organizers could not agree on a television contract. The revival of the domestic showpiece had not lasted long.

The great Neil Coles, that prolific champion of grand longevity, was the winner in 1972, when the Scottish Open emerged from its 36-year hiatus during the inaugural season of the official European now DP World Tour.

Rory McIlroy putts on the 5th green during Day Four of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club on July 16, 2023, in United Kingdom. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

Downfield in Dundee was the host venue and Sunbeam Electric, that household appliance company that manufactured a snazzy array of food mixers, waffle irons and toasters, was the sponsor.

Old king Coles was certainly a merry old soul after plundering the first prize of 2,000 pounds. His better half was chipper too.

“When I used to come off the course, I’d ring my wife and say, ‘I’ve won’ and she’d always ask, ‘how much?’” reflected the indefatigable Coles, who won professional titles across six different decades.

“During my playing career, I won about 430,000…