The Claret Jug engraver, the man who let the iconic trophy slip from his grasp and the son of a three-time winner are all among the players trying to qualify for next week’s Senior Open at Gleneagles.
Four separate 18-hole shoot-outs take place on Monday and there are some interesting names among those hoping to tee up in the first staging of the over-50s’ major on the King’s Course.
Garry Harvey, who is the R&A’s official engraver, is teeing up at Ladybank less than 24 hours after he etches the name of the 150th Open champion on the Claret Jug at St Andrews.
Joining him there are Frenchman Jean Van de Velde, who painfully lost out to Paul Lawrie in the 1999 Open at Carnoustie, and Gary Nicklaus, one of Jack’s boys.
The Ladybank hopefuls also include Rob Maxfield, the PGA’s chief executive, as well as newly-crowned Scottish Seniors’ Match-Play champion John Mathers, 2021 Irish Seniors’ Open winner Derek Paton and German-based Scottish pro Martin Hastie.
Blairgowrie is staging two qualifiers - one on the Lansdowne course and the other on Rosemount.
Two-time PGA Tour winner Len Mattiace, who helped Russell Knox with his putting earlier this year, is in the Rosemount line up, which also includes former Ryder Cup player Steven Richardson.
Former European Tour Rookie of the Year Scott Henderson is among the Scots in that field along with Alan Tait, Campbell Elliott, Kenny Hutton and Lee Vannet.
South African David Frost, who won ten times on the PGA Tour in his prime, is teeing up on Lansdowne, where Panmure pro Andrew Crerar is bidding to qualify for the third time in a row and Stephen McAllister is trying, too.
South African-based Doug McGuigan and Skibo Castle director of golf David Thomson are giving it a go at
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