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Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson have united in billing this week’s Scottish Open as the perfect preparation for a Tiger Woods-free British Open.
With the world No.1 sidelined following knee surgery, his compatriot Mickelson and South Africa’s Els will have plenty of backing when the third major of the year tees off at Royal Birkdale next week.
After three-week breaks from competitive golf, both men will be looking to hone their competitive edge in a STG3 million ($A6.2 million) tournament that, thanks to the presence of Australia’s Adam Scott, has three of the world’s top six players in the field.
Mickelson, who lost out to France’s Gregory Harvet in a play-off here last year, and Els are both huge fans of the spectacularly situated Loch Lomond course.
Colin Montgomerie, who was recently married here, describes the layout as the “best inland course in Britain.”
But there is an ongoing debate over whether it is the best venue for a tournament in the run-up to the Open Championship, with some arguing that an even bigger selection of the world’s top stars could be attracted to play if it offered them a warm-up on a links course.
Els however believes it would be folly to move a tournament that has come to be identified with its picturesque setting.
“When you think of Scottish golf, you basically think links golf,” he said on Wednesday.
“But the more the Scottish Open is played here at Loch Lomond the more tradition you build and the tougher it becomes to move it.
“I wouldn’t mind if they keep it here for quite a few years: I love it so much here.”
Like Mickelson, Els has not played since the US Open, having taken a break that allowed him to enjoy the English sporting summer with trips to the Ascot races, Wimbledon and the Henley Regatta ahead of the relocation of his family to Florida.
“The game’s got a bit of rust on it,” he admitted.
“But I’ve had a couple of wins here in the past and some close finishes so it is a good course for my game and I feel refreshed.”
Els also believes that the usual contrast between Loch Lomond’s lush fairways and receptive greens and the hard-running venues for the British Open will not be as marked this year given the current condition of Royal Birkdale.
“Birkdale is in wonderful shape,” he reported.
Mickelson spent Sunday through Tuesday at Birkdale working on his course-management and is now aiming to get his ball-striking right in a competitive environment.
“Next week is always on everybody’s mind and we are trying to get ready but part of that is performing well here this week,” the 38-year-old said.
Mickelson has won twice on the US tour this season and was fifth in the Masters in April but he failed to make an impression on the US Open, where his challenge was ended by a quadruple bogey nine on the 13th during his second round.
Now, with Woods out of the picture, he is determined to make the most of an intense run of competitive golf.
“I took the last three weeks off because I knew I was going to be playing for almost the next three months,” he said.
“It’s a very busy spell with this week, next week and then the USPGA Championship and I’ll be playing nine out of the next 11 or 12 weeks.”