Sam Masters and Rory Schlein are favourites for the 61st running of the Scottish Open Championship on Friday (7.15pm).
Harrisons Ford Retail Centre of Peebles are sponsors of the event and the strongest challenge to the SGB Premiership stars should come from Edinburgh Monarchs’ duo Ricky Wells and Erik Riss.
Lat year’s winner Justin Sedgmen is not in Britain this year so can’t defend his title but Masters was the winner of the previous staging in 2014.
Schlein has the biggest incentive as he has been winner of the Open on three occasions (2004, 2008, 2011) and another one would see him equal the record of Peter Carr who won four times in the Armadale era.
The 2004 win was Schlein’s first big individual success and he said: “It was one of my first big ones, one that meant more to me than probably anyone else I think.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming back and riding in it. The best rider I ever saw around Armadale was Pete so if I could get four that would be great, and, if I’ve got time, who knows I might get five.”
There are 22 heats and the riders are: Richie Worrall (Glasgow & England), Marius Hillebrand (Germany), Erik Riss (Edinburgh & Germany), Tobias Thomsen (Denmark), Sam Masters (Wolverhampton & Australia), Ricky Wells (Edinburgh & USA), Joel Andersson (Edinburgh & Sweden), Matt Williamson (Edinburgh & England), Paul Starke (Glasgow & England), Mark Riss (Edinburgh & Germany), Max Ruml (Edinburgh & USA), Josh Pickering (Edinburgh & Australia), Jordie Stewart (Redcar & Australia), Rory Schlein (Ipswich & Australia), Kevin Doolan (Berwick & Australia), Ben Barker (Redcar & England).
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