BANCHORY'S Greig Hutcheon is looking to secure the Tartan Tour order of merit title at the ?45,000 Scottish PGA championship, which starts today at Gleneagles.
The 37-year-old, who claimed the Northern Open title at Meldrum House last month, has a 100-point cushion going into the end-of-season showpiece but can still be caught by his closest pursuers.
Hutcheon said: "Winning the Order of Merit is huge. It would get me into the Scottish Open, the Johnnie Walker championships and the PGA championships.
"Those are events which can have a massive effect of your season. One good week can make your year.
"It has been a good year so far and it would be nice to finish it off at the top of the standings."
Hutcheon has happy memories of Gleneagles having won the Scottish PGA title on the old Monarch's course, now the PGA Centenary, 11 years ago.
A repeat would secure the order of merit but Jason McCreadie and Paul McKechnie could turn things around this weekend if he slips up and they finish near the top of the list.
The 72-hole championship will return to the King's Course for the first time in 83 years, having been held on the PGA Centenary Course since 2001.
The field has also been restricted to 66 players from 150, partly because of daylight restrictions, but also because the PGA's chief executive Sandy Jones has made it clear a national championship should have an element of exclusivity.
Former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart is in the field and said: "This is a great old course. I was invited a while ago, and decided it was a good chance for me to get some competitive action at this time of year. I'm looking forward to it."
Also among the challengers will be defending champion, David Orr (Eastwood), a former member at Glen-eagles, who enjoys the King's Course layout: "It's all-important where you hit your approach shots because the greens are so big, but I'm delighted to get a chance to defend my title," said Orr.
Aberdeen Kings Links Scott Henderson will compete, as will 2008 Tartan Tour winner Craig Lee, who represents the Aspire Centre in Aberdeen, Montrose's Graeme Brown and Greg McBain from Royal Dornoch.
