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In the relaxed atmosphere of the pro-am, Miguel Angel Jiminez can take time out for a photo with a young fan
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The home challenge may be a little thin on the ground come Sunday afternoon. The home of golf is not blessed with an overabundance of world-class players at the moment. But Scotland's challenge will be spearheaded by a man who can always be relied on to bring out the Scottish crowd - next year's Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie.
As the years pass and his prowess on the course wanes, it seems that he is now certain to go down in history as the greatest player who never won a Major. But the fire of competitive spirit burns just as brightly as ever in a man who is a former winner here: "1999 was my best year of all with six wins, and I'd love to emulate something like that again. But you probably all know that I haven't had a top-10 for a year now, and it's about time that changed. I've got to climb the Order of Merit to get back into this incredible Race to Dubai. I'm not in the top-60 yet - but I will be by the end of the season."
Monty is philosophical about the Scottish situation, and believes that the problem is cyclical rather than endemic to the game: "I think it will be a big difference for Scottish golf in the next three or four years. You have to remember, there are only five million of us, and considering that number we do very well, very well indeed to compete of a world stage."
Altogether there will be fourteen home players in the field. Scottish fans will have a rare opportunity to see Martin Laird play. Martin is currently plying his trade successfully on the PGA Tour in the USA. And even more important for home morale, Scotland will field two Major-winners in Paul Lawrie and the evergreen Sandy Lyle. In a star-studded field for the Wednesday pro-am, the fans would have been delighted to see both "Team Montgomerie" and "Team Lyle" at the top of the leaderboard.
The course and the club are a joy to experience. The banks of Loch Lomond have to be one of the finest settings for a golf course in the country. The fairways are lush and green, and from the tangled rough emerge ancient Scots Pine and Oak trees that would leave many aspiring parkland courses gaping in envy.
Graeme McDowell certainly agrees: "It's always nice to come back to this venue. I guess I'm a little biased now, but I really like this golf course. It's a beautiful part of the world, and when the sun shines on a Sunday afternoon, there's nowhere better really. Certainly, last year was very special!"
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Pro-am competitior Curtis Childs of America shows he knows how to dress for the homeland of golf
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(China.org.cn July 9, 2007)
