Lure of Muirfield sees Scottish Men's Open attract record entry

A total of 355 players from all around the world applied to tee up in one of Scottish Golf’s marquee tournaments and only 144 spots are up for grabs on 31 May-2 June.

The figure smashed the previous record of 256, which had stood since the 1999 event at St Andrews, where Drumpellier’s Graham Rankin was victorious on the Old and Jubilee Courses.

As well as entries from Scotland and the other home nations, golfers from 15 European countries, Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Morocco, China, Saudi Arabia, USA and United Arab Emirates have applied to play in the 2024 edition.

The final field will comprise of the top 55 players who have applied based on their World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) while the next 55 players will be decided by handicap ballot.

Scottish Golf has reserved ten places for invitations and the final 24 places will be up for grabs in an 18-hole qualifier taking place on Gullane No 2 on 28 May.

“The number of entries from home and abroad reflects not only the stature of this championship in world amateur golf circles, but also the quality of the host venue,” said Toni Ffinch, Scottish Golf’s senior events manager. “There’s no doubt that this year’s field will be one of the strongest ever assembled for an amateur golf event in Scotland.”

Bernard Gallacher won the inaugural staging of the event at Muirfield and Gullane in 1967 while Paul McKellar triumphed ten years later when the same two courses shared hosting duties once again.