Barclays Scottish Open gets started
A SCOTSMAN swung the first club this morning as the Barclays Scottish Open got started at Castle Stuart.
Alastair Forsyth from East Renfrewshire was a 7.30am starter, along with Austrian Martin Weigele and Ireland's Peter Lawrie.
Heavy downpours last night failed to dampen spirits in the Highlands as up to 60,000 golf fans get set to flock to the course between Inverness and Nairn during the four-day championships, which have a top-class field, including world numbers one and two, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.
With weather tipped to improve over the weekend, and some of the planet's leading players in action, excitement is growing intensely.
Also teeing off for the first time this morning will be defending champion Edoardo Molinari, Luke Donald, Colin Montgomerie, Richie Ramsay and Martin Laird.
The impressive new course at Castle Stuart has, for the first time in 15 years, replaced the Scottish Open's "home" at Loch Lomond, a factor which lured many of the top names to the Highlands.
The attraction of playing a links course just one week before the Open at Royal St George's, another links venue, appealed to the stars.
We'll keep you updated here with all the latest action online.
