St Andrews youngster Ben Kinsley will get the chance to match Bradley Neil’s success in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 12 months ago.
Neil finished third in last year’s team event playing with American professional Peter Uihlein and went on to win this year’s 2014 Amateur Championship.
Now local player Kinsley, as well as fellow Scottish hopefuls Connor Syme and George Burns, will get the same chance the Blairgowrie teenager was given.
Thanks to support from the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation, the trio have benefited from warm weather practice in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa and are looking forward to a memorable week.
Kinsley, who is the great, great grandson of giant of golf Willie Auchterlonie, is second in the Boy’s Order of Merit with strong finishes in this year’s Scottish Boys Strokeplay and the Scottish Boys Championship.
Syme, whose dad Stuart is a professional golfer, said: “I can’t wait to play in the tournament. I got the call on Monday and it’s very exciting.
“I saw Bradley on TV last year playing with Peter Uihlein and it’s great that Rory is playing this week too. To be playing in the same tournament as Rory McIlroy is crazy.
“I’ve played the Old Course in the St Andrews Links Trophy but I’ve never played Carnoustie or Kingsbarns, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Syme has had a turbulent year, breaking his ankle on a family holiday in Cyprus but bouncing back to reach the semi-final of the Amateur Championship in Royal Portrush in June, where he was eventually beaten by Neil.
“I had low expectations this year after the ankle break,” he said.
That was a hard time and I ended up missing winter training in Dubai. But I got some good work done in South Africa which helped get me back to where I wanted to be.
“I had a good run at the Amateur Championship which gave me a lot of confidence. There are 288 players from all over the world in the field, so it really helped to know I could do it in that company.
“I then finished the season strong. I did well in the Scottish Boys and won an Order of Merit, too.”
Glaswegian Burns, who is studying at St Andrews University, is seventh on the Scottish Boys Order of Merit after picking up the Stephen Gallacher Foundation Trophy in May and a fourth-place finish in the Scottish Boys Strokeplay.
Meanwhile Sir Nick Faldo, Britain’s most successful golfer, is to play in this week’s championship.
Faldo, who won both the Open Championship and The Masters three times, joins McIlroy and Martin Kaymer, winners of three of the four Majors in 2014, in the event, which begins on Thursday.
Faldo won one of his Open Championships at St Andrews in 1990 and is looking forward to returning to the Old Course.
He said: “It was great for me to go to St Andrews then, on a sunny and breezy day, and win after winning The Masters in April. I had enough lead to really enjoy the walk up 18 and the crowd arena.
“The feelings and the images are clear in my mind and very special. The town has its own special buzz and of course it is the Home of Golf and I feel that.
“Obviously, St Andrews is special. Carnoustie is always tough, so I hope to catch a break there and Kingsbarns is the modern version of a links course.
“Each is enjoyable in its own way.”
Entrance to the Championship will be free at all three courses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A ticket price of £20 (concessionary £15) will be charged for the final day’s play over the Old Course on Sunday. Entry for under 16s and students is free.