Phil Mickelsonwill launch his bid for a second Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open title alongside last week’s winner,Thongchai Jaidee, and Ireland’sShane Lowrywhen play gets under way at Castle Stuart on Thursday.
Mickelson, who triumphed here three years ago when the event was last staged at the Highlands venue, tees off at 1315 on Thursday afternoon in the company of Open de France victor Jaidee and three-time European Tour winner Shane Lowry.
In the following group at 1325, former European Number OneHenrik Stensonhits the links with Ryder Cup team-mate and 2009 Scottish Open winnerMartin Kaymer in a threeball completed by BMW PGA championChris Wood.
Returning to his hometown of Inverness for this week’s Scottish Open, Florida-basedRussell Knox will play the first two rounds alongside American starPatrick Reed and South Africa’sBranden Grace from 1335 on Thursday.
Elsewhere, three-time Major ChampionPadraig Harrington will tee it up from 1355 in the first round in a group completed by eight-time European Number OneColin Montgomerie and one of the great characters of the European Tour –Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston.
Meanwhile, another Major winner inGraeme McDowell will be joined by Celtic Manor team-mateRoss Fisher and Korean up-and-comerJeunghun Wang – twice already a winner on the European Tour in 2016 – from 0845 on Thursday morning.
With the Ryder Cup points race hotting up week-on-week, potential Hazeltine rookiesMatthew Fitzpatrick andRafa Cabrera Bello – both of whom are currently within the nine automatic qualifying spots for the biennial clash in September – are grouped together at 0825 in a threeball completed by Scotland’sMarc Warren.
The 2010 Scottish Open champion,Edoardo Molinari, will get proceedings under way at precisely 0735 on Thursday morning in a threeball completed by England’sLee Slattery and another Castle Stuart victor – 2012 winnerJeev Milkha Singh.
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