Mickelson hoping to add Amateur Championship to family fortunes

PHIL Mickelson, the second favourite for the US Open at Pebble Beach, isn't the only member of his family bidding for golfing glory this week. Tim, his younger brother, is amongst 25 Americans in the field for the 115th Amateur Championship, which gets underway today in East Lothian.

An outstanding collegiate player – he was at Arizona State and Oregon State and won ALL PAC-10 honours in 1997 and 1998 – Tim spent a year as a professional but didn't take to the travelling involved so pursued a career as a college coach instead. He's been just as successful in that as his brother has been on the world stage.

The 32-year-old has just finished his seventh season at the University of San Diego and shared the coach of the year award in 2008-09. His older brother is certainly a big fan. "Obviously I'm biased but I think he's the best coach in the country," said the Masters champion. "He's motivated, he cares about his kids, he helps them improve as players and helps them grow as people."

Tim, who is at Muirfield today for his opening round in the 36-hole qualifying, will be bidding to emulate Drew Weaver, who lifted the title three years ago at Royal Lytham, though a more likely American winner this week is Jonathan Randolph. The world No 4 is the highest-ranked player in the 288-strong field and has arrived in Scotland in good form, the 21-year-old University of Mississippi junior having registered two wins, two seconds and three third-place finishes this year.

While Matteo Manassero, the winner at Formby last year, is now in the professional ranks, English duo Stiggy Hodgson and Darren Renwick, two of the semi-finalists 12 months ago, are in the line up again, as is compatriot Tommy Fleetwood, the world No 10 who lost to Dutchman Reinier Saxton in the final at Turnberry two years ago and a quarter-finalist at Formby.

The field contains 56 Scots and chief among those with their sights set on becoming the first winner of the event from the home of golf since Stuart Wilson, who triumphed at St Andrews in 2004, are James Byrne, Ross Kellett, David Law, Philip McLean and Michael Stewart.

Byrne, currently the highest-ranked Scot at No 18 in the world, is making his first appearance of the season on the domestic circuit after being involved in the season-ending NCAA Championship with Arizona State, while Stewart, who has decided not to return to East Tennessee State after the summer, believes he's finding form at the right time after securing a top-ten finish in the St Andrews Links Trophy.

"Muirfield is up there with my favourite courses and I won a Scottish Golf Union Junior Tour event at North Berwick back in 2006, so I have quite good memories of East Lothian," said the former Scottish Boys' champion.

McLean tied for second in the Links Trophy and looks a certainly for the Scotland team that will defend the European title in Sweden next month, while Law, last year's double national champion, will be hoping to show his liking for match play once again to strengthen his claim for a place in that six-man side.

Local interest will focus on Craigielaw's Mark Hillson, a quarter- finalist at Formby, where he lost to Renwick. Hillson will be hoping to use the knowledge he's gained from doing some caddying at Muirfield to give another good account of himself in the event.

North Berwick is the other course being used for the qualifying today and tomorrow, with the top 64 and ties progressing to the match-play phase, which starts at Muirfield on Wednesday. The man who emulates Sergio Garcia, the winner when the East Lothian links last staged the event in 1998, will secure a place in next month's Open Championship and next year's Masters.