Scots teeing up at all 15 venues for Open Regional Qualifying on Monday

Regional Qualifying for the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool takes place on Monday at 15 venues in the UK and Ireland. Picture: Getty Images

Scottish hopefuls are teeing up at all 15 venues around the UK and Ireland as the battle to secure spots in the 151st Open gets underway in Regional Qualifying on Monday.

The majority of the Scottish players are in action at Kilmarnock (Barassie) as it takes over from Panmure as the venue north of the Border while the Saltire is also prominent, as has always been the case, in the field at Goswick.

But, in other 18-hole shoot-outs all over England and even one in Ireland, Scottish amateurs and professionals will also be hoping to take the first step on the road to Royal Liverpool.

Home hopefuls at Kilmarnock (Barassie) include two sets of brothers - professionals John and Scott Henry and amateur aces Cameron and Sam Mukherjee.

The field also includes former R&A Amateur champions Bradley Neil and Laird Shepherd, as well as Jack McDonald, who will be looking to cash in on local knowledge at his home club. Rory Franssen, a recent winner on the Tartan Pro Tour, is also bidding to clear the first hurdle at the Ayrshire venue.

Another Jack McDonald, who won the Battle Trophy at Crail earlier in the year, is in the field at Goswick, where the hopefuls also include Sam Westwood, Lee’s son. Aberdeen Golf Links Pro-Am winner Sean Lawrie and East Alliance champion Ross Noon are also teeing up at the Northumberland venue.

At some of the other venues, 2010 Amateur Championship runner-up James Byrne is playing at Burhill while Fife-born Australian Connor McKinney is at Alwoodley.

It’s a Minchinhampton mission for Stuart McLaren; Jeff Wright and David Rudd are flying the Saltire at Northants while Greg Miller is heading to Rochester & Cobham Park.

One of the biggest names involved in Monday’s scramble is seven-time DP World Tour winner Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who is playing at Northamptonshire County.

And, at County Louth, former British Masters champion Paul Dunne, who led after 54 holes in the 2015 Open at St Andrews, heads the Irish hopefuls in a field that also included Chase Koepka, younger brother of Brooks.

The successful players in this stage will progress to Final Qualfying on 4 July, when a minimum of 16 spots will be up for grabs in 36-hole events at Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports, Royal Porthcawl and West Lancashire.