Meet the Scot teeing up in The Open who once beat Bryson DeChambeau

Step forward Jack McDonald, who came through a play-off at nearby Dundonald Links to secure his spot in the 152nd Open and is out in the first group on Thursday with two former Troon winners, Justin Leonard and Todd Hamilton.

“It will be so special to play with two past champions, especially given they won here at Troon,” said the 31-year-old of his dream draw, which, even with a 6.35am start, he shouldn’t miss due to living just a ten-minute drive from this week’s venue.

“I knew it was either going to be an early time or a late time, so I would have preferred it early. I would rather that, compared to having to hang about all day to get out and play.”

It was during a chat with his grandfather, Royal Troon member and 1977 Open competitor Gordon Cosh, that this correspondent was reminded that McDonald had defeated DeChambeau in a singles clash in the 2014 Palmer Cup at Walton Heath under fellow Scot Andrew Coltart’s captaincy.

“That was a long time ago now, but it’s great to be back competing with these guys,” admitted McDonald, a three-time winner on Paul Lawrie’s Tartan Pro Tour last year. “Obviously a lot of the guys I played with back then have gone right to the very top, like Bryson.

“I noticed all his clubs were the same length, which was obviously unusual. You could see back then he was very, very good. When we played at the Walker Cup a year later, I think it was Gav Moynihan who played him. I think DeChambeau knocked it round in something like six-under at Lytham. You could tell back then he was extremely good.”

As DeChambeau was becoming one of the game’s top players, McDonald found himself having to take on winter jobs to fund his golf, but he’s not the chip-on-the-shoulder type. “I met people who I would not normally meet because it was outside the golf bubble and it was good chatting with those people,” he said. “That probably helped as well in bringing out good golf.”

McDonald, who has seen his fortunes take an upturn since starting to work with Alan McCloskey, has experienced Scottish caddie John Dempster on his bag this week and is ready to see what he can do on a course he knows probably better than anyone else in the field.

“It’s amazing,” he said of being an Open competitor on this occasion after also playing here in both The Amateur Championship and Scottish Amateur Championship. “The course is in great condition, you couldn’t ask for any more. My game feels like it’s in decent shape, so it’ll be good to get out there and see what happens.”

Cosh, who still plays himself but jokes that his 14 handicap these days isn’t “high enough”, is hoping to be there on the first tee. “You know, there isn’t any reason why he couldn’t manage to come through the opening two rounds and make the cut, there is no reason at all,” said the former Walker Cup player. “Yeah, that’s the way I would see it. I’d just like to see Jack go the four rounds and give him the confidence to go forward.”