Hannah Darling and Lorna McClymont have been given the chance to shine on home soil in this week’s ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open through significant new support from the Sean Connery Foundation. Darling, who is making her professional debut, and McClymont, who made the switch to the paid ranks earlier this year, have both secured invitations for the $2 million event at Dundonald Links. In a timely boost, it has been announced that they are being supported in their new careers through a partnership between Scottish Golf and the Sean Connery Foundation, which was set up in 2022 to honour the memory of the James Bond star and golf fanatic. Part of a new Women and Girls Strategy, which was launched at Dundonald Links on the eve of world No 1 Nelly Korda making her debut in the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, the Scottish Women’s Professional Transition Programme will initially see Darling and McClymont receive support over the next five years. “It gives me a bit of a foundation moving forward,” said Darling, a two-time Scottish Girls’ champion who was inside the top 20 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking when she decided to start the next chapter in her career. “The people behind it have identified an area where they can really help us. “With me and Lorna being the first to receive it, it’s really nice. We can start our pro careers on the front foot almost and not worried about not making enough money to play the week after. “The Sean Connery Foundation are stepping into that really well and it’s exciting for us all. We played in the pro-am with them and that’s what they said. They just wanted to make sure that we were set and go focus on playing golf rather than worrying about the finance or any of the stress that comes with it.” Though McClymont, who played on a winning Curtis Cup team along with Darling at Sunningdale last year, has done a good so far in that respect, the Stirling University graduate admitted this support is a huge boost. “I think it just takes such a weight off, which definitely helps,” she said. “You’re just able to go out feeling free and not worry too much because, at the end of the day, if you have stuff like that in your mind, then you’re not going to be able to perform to your best.” Darling and McClymont were joined at the launch by Scottish No 1 Gemma Dryburgh, who also came through the amateur ranks and has gone on to win on the LPGA Tour and play in a Solheim Cup. “It is massive,” she said of the new programme. “I was lucky enough, ten years ago now, to get some funding from Scottish Golf, which was so helpful. When you are starting out in the pro ranks, it is hard to get sponsors and the expenses suddenly rack up because you are having to pay for everything. “So it is going to be perfect for Hannah and Lorna and they are the people for it. It’s amazing what the Sean Connery Foundation is going to do for them. “They can just focus on the golf rather than worrying about how much a flight is going to cost for the next week or can I afford a caddie, all that kind of stuff that you don’t have to worry about when you are an amateur. “It is great for them that they can kick on in their careers and not worry about the money aspect of it. Yeah, I am looking forward to seeing how they get on. “It’s also about inspiring the next generation. I looked up to Catriona Matthew my whole amateur career and at the start of my professional career, so it is fantastic to see Lorna and Hannah pushing on as well. Hopefully they can now start inspiring kids.” The new programme has come on the back of Scottish Golf being able to send squads out to the Bahamas over the past two years through receiving support from the Sean Connery Foundation. “Our hope for the Scottish Golf Women’s Professional Transition Programme is that it alleviates the financial stress on these young women - who are extraordinary golfers - as they transition into their professional career,” said Jason Connery, Sean’s son. “Seeing Scots at the top of the mountain - and leaderboard - is really what we hope to see. Dad would be so proud.”