Ernie Els, defending champion at the 132nd Open Golf Championship next month, will be joined by five other Major Championship winners at The £2.2 million Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond from July 10-13, 2003.
Els is joined by past Major Championship winners John Daly, Retief Goosen, Sandy Lyle, José Maria Olazábal and Jerry Pate who have all confirmed that they are to compete in this year’’s Barclays Scottish Open.
Daly, winner of the 1995 Open Golf Championship at St Andrews, finished tied for third place in The 2001 Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and is looking forward to returning to challenge defending champion Eduardo Romero for the coveted Barclays Scottish Open title.
Els, who competed in The Barclays Scottish Open last year before travelling to Scotland’’s east coast to win the Open Golf Championship, won the Loch Lomond event in 2000. Currently second in the Official World Golf Ranking and top of the 2003 Volvo Order of Merit, Els considers Loch Lomond to be the best course in Europe.
Fellow South African, Goosen, who won the 2001 US Open Championship and followed it up with victory in the 2001 Scottish Open, confirmed: “I am very much looking forward to returning to play in The 2003 Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.” The 2001 and 2002 Volvo Order of Merit winner is currently 11th in the Official World Golf Ranking and 14th in the Volvo Order of Merit.
Lyle, who won the 1988 Masters Tournament, finished tied for 41st place with a two under par total of 282 at Loch Lomond last year.
Olazábal, the 1994 and 1999 Masters Champion, is also set to challenge defending champion Romero. He said: “Loch Lomond is a great golf course and each year I look forward to returning to play in the tournament.”
Pate concludes the past Major winners line-up at Loch Lomond. Pate won the US Open in 1976 but has concentrated more recently on TV commentary work in the United States. At 49, he is due to join the Seniors ranks in September this year and this will be his first visit to Loch Lomond.
