Excitement builds ahead of Scottish Open
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THE groupings for the first two rounds of the Barclays Scottish Open at Castle Stuart have thrown up some fascinating combinations.
The 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie will go out with fellow Major winners Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington.
The trio tee-off at 1.25pm on Thursday.
The first shot in the championship, which is being staged at the Moray Firth links for the first time, will be struck by North East golfer Alastair Forsyth at 7.30am.
Crowds of up to 20,000 each day are expected at Castle Stuart as it makes its debut as a European Tour venue.
The course has been awarded a three year contract to host the Barclays Scottish Open following its move from Loch Lomond.
The event has attracted five of the top eight ranked players in the world, including the no1. and no.2 players Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.
Westwood will play the first two rounds with defending champion Edoardo Molinari and Pablo Larrazabal, a recent winner on the European Tour. They tee off at 8.15am on Thursday.
Ernie Els was the first player to arrive at the course on Sunday and the South African Major winner is off at 1.35pm on Thursday, playing alongside Scot Stephen Gallacher and American Matt Kuchar.
The gates open at the course at 7am on Thursday and tickets are still available. The ticket hotline is 0800 023 2557.
