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Stars ready for Scottish Open

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 09/07/2009

The Claret Jug must be just around the corner as the European Tour heads to Loch Lomond for its traditional pre-Open Championship tournament.

The Barclays Scottish Open is held the week before the third Major of the year and the combination of picturesque location and huge financial muscle helps lure some of the world's finest players to an idyllic corner of the Home of Golf.

Whether playing perfectly manicured parkland golf the week before the ultimate rough and tumble links challenge is ideal Open Championship preparation is open to debate, but the tournament certainly draws a high-class field year after year.

Those taking part this year have amassed 22 Major championships between them during the last quarter of a century.

Reigning Masters champion Angel Cabrera, Geoff Ogilvy, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and even Sir Nick Faldo will all tee it up alongside defending champion Graeme McDowell this week.

However, three notable omissions are Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington.

Woods never plays the week before a Major and will no doubt be busy familiarising himself with what is something of an unknown Turnberry layout ahead of the Open.

Mickelson has made the trip to Scotland in recent years - he is sponsored by Barclays after all - but the world number two will not be present this time as his wife is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Meanwhile, major question marks are hanging over the form of Harrington who - like Woods - prefers to hone his game on the practice ground rather than in competitive action ahead of the Majors.

However, unlike the world number one, Harrington's form this season has been erratic and only a dramatic improvement at Turnberry will see him successfully defend the Open and claim the Claret Jug for the third straight year.

The normally consistent Irishman has made just four cuts in nine European Tour events this season and a long-running wrist injury has surfaced again in recent weeks.

Elsewhere, Germany's Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood of England are confirmed in the field after last weekend's shootout in the French Open.

Kaymer prevailed in a play-off in Paris but both are certainly on form as they feature high up in the Race to Dubai standings and are among the online betting favourites this week.

Can rising star Kaymer come out on top again at Loch Lomond? - Latest Golf Betting

Elsewhere, Ogilvy seems certain to be in contention as the Australian former US Open champion is the highest world ranked player in the field.

Goosen at around 35/1 must also be considered a dark horse as the two-time US Open winner's recent results have suggested that he is beginning to re-emerge from a two-year slumber.

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