Richie Ramsay

Ended more than seven years without a DP World Tour victory when he captured the Cazoo Classic at Hillside last July and by finishing the season a career-high 19th on the rankings returns to The Open for the first time since 2017.

Eleven years before that he became the first British winner of the American amateur title since 1911 – and the first Scot to lift the trophy since 1898.

With a Walker Cup cap as well he turned professional after appearing in the 2007 Masters, US Open and The Open at Carnoustie and enjoyed his maiden Tour success at the 2009 South African Open.

That was followed by a four-stroke victory at the 2012 Omega European Masters and a one-shot win over Romain Wattel at the 2015 Hassan Trophy in Morocco.

Qualified for Royal Birkdale with a joint second place at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, part of The Open Qualifying Series, but his next top three placing was not until last May’s British Masters at The Belfry and that was a huge disappointment given that he led by one before finding water and double-bogeying the last. However, the next time a chance presented itself he took it.