64 players. 32 matches. One exciting opening day at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play. That is what we have in store after the first round draw was made, live on Sky Sports News, from Murcar Golf Links this afternoon.
Here's a look at some of Thursday's notable matches:
Paul Lawrie vs Romain Wattel
Our tournament host this week will face the young Frenchman Romain Wattel. Whilst this is Wattel's first professional match play event, Lawrie has the experience of two winning Ryder Cup appearances in 1999 and 2012. Lawrie will no doubt be the local favourite in his hometown but Wattel has some fond memories of golf in Scotland, having won the 2010 Scottish Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship by six shots at Glasgow Golf Club.
Matthew Fitzpatrick vs Bradley Dredge
At more than double the age of his opponent, two-time European Tour winner Bradley Dredge will be hoping that experience trumps youth on Thursday morning. When the Welshman first teed it up on The European Tour in 1994, Fitzpatrick wasn't born yet. Now 20 years later they meet at 9.00am on Thursday. Fitzpatrick enters the week on the back of his best European Tour finish last week where he finished runner up to Danny Willett in Switzerland.
Peter Uihlein vs Oliver Wilson
Here's two men that know a thing or two about links golf. Wilson famously won the 2014 Dunhill Links Championship, his first victory in 228 starts on The European Tour, whilst Uihlein came with a hair of a memorable 59 at Kingbarns at the same event a year before. Both men arrive in Scotland in need of a good result to get their 2015 campaigns going. Only one can make it to Friday's second round.
Felipe Aguilar vs Fabrizio Zanotti
The final match on Thursday is the battle of the South Americans. Chile’s Felipe Aguilar will take on Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti. Both players are good friends and Aguilar eventweeted a photoof the pair jokingly coming to blows on the driving range at Murcar when they found out they would face each other.
Andrew Johnston vs Graeme Storm
In one of two all-English Thursday match ups (also Howell vs Brooks), two of The European Tour's most colourful characters face off. Andrew "Beef" Johnson earned his way onto the Tour by finishing first on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit last season andset Twitter on fire when did the Miguel danceafter holing out at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open whilst playing with Miguel himself. Graeme Storm is partial to a big celebration too, having won a BMW i8 a year ago thanks to thismemorable hole in one.
Here's a look at all of Thursday's opening round matches:
08.00am: Julien Quesne vs Tom Lewis
08.10am: Scott Hend vs Jeev Milkha Singh
08.20am: Maximilian Kieffer vs Michael Hoey
08.30am: Kristoffe Broberg vs Richard Finch
08.40am: Richie Ramsay vs Shiv Kapur
08.50am: Magnus Carlsson vs Edoardo Molinari
09.00am: Matthew Fitzpatrick vs Bradley Dredge
09.10am: Peter Uihlein vs Oliver Wilson
09.25am: Chris Wood vs JBE Kruger
09.35am: Jorge Campillo vs John Daly
09.45am: Raphael Jacquelin vs Seve Benson
09.55am: Gregory Havret vs David Horsey
10.05am: Alexander Levy vs Mark Foster
10.15am: Morton Orum Madsen vs Alvaro Quiros
10.25am: Tyrrell Hatton vs Darren Fichardt
10.35am: Robert Rock vs Michael Lundberg
12.30pm: Anthony Wall vs Chris Doak
12.40pm: Romain Wattel vs Paul Lawrie
12.50pm: Thomas Aiken vs Scott Jamieson
13.00pm: Andrew Dodt vs Oliver Fisher
13.10pm: Alejandro Canizares vs Lucas Bjerregaard
13.20pm: Marcus Fraser vs Robert Karlsson
13.30pm: Gregory Bourdy vs Nicolas Colsaerts
13.40pm: Trevor Fisher Jnr vs Thorbjorn Olesen
13.55pm: David Howell vs Daniel Brooks
14.05pm: Thomas Pieters vs David Drysdale
14.15pm: Kiradech Aphibarnrat vs Wade Ormsby
14.25pm: Andrew Johnston vs Graeme Storm
14.35pm: James Morrison vs Pelle Edberg
14.45pm: Johan Carlsson vs Marco Crespi
14.55pm: Marc Warren vs Richard Bland
15.05pm: Felipe Aguilar v Fabrizio Zanotti
Click the image below for a look at the tournament bracket.
