First Minister Alex Salmond said the pulling power of the AAM Scottish Open had made it easy to convince industry leaders to sit down and talk business at Royal Aberdeen.
The First Minister arrived at the course with a packed diary of eight meetings to be hosted in one of hospitality areas yesterday afternoon.
He said: “It is the easiest thing in the world to get managing directors to accept an invite to the Scottish Open. I will be meeting eight of them this afternoon, one after the other.”
Mr Salmond said he would be working right across the weekend, with 44 meetings over the course of the tournament with potential investors from across the world.
As well as seizing the opportunity to conduct some business, Mr Salmond said he was looking forward to ditching his suit later on in the afternoon.
He said: “I am looking forward to getting the jacket off and getting into the golf gear to catch some of the late finishers.”
He said he would love to see a Scot, such as Russell Knox, win the tournament but added that Phil Mickelson was a “class act”.
Mr Salmond also announced £22,000 of Scottish Government funding for Golf Aberdeen City and Shire to promote the area’s courses as a global destination, with further financial input being made by Visit Scotland.
The funding will go towards improved online tee reservations and visitor tee time availability, and will target golfers from key markets including Scandinavia and Germany.
“With the golf industry in Scotland worth more than a staggering £1.1 billion to our economy, of which golf tourism contributes £220m annually, this new initiative is looking to tap into this love of Scotland’s courses,” he added.
Mr Salmond said the AAM Scottish Open was doing an “absolutely great” job of presenting Aberdeen to a global audience and that 2014 was a “huge year” for the game in Scotland.
He added: “Scotland is the Home of Golf and anyone with a love of the sport would cherish the opportunity to play a round where the game originated.”