USA Ryder Cup vice-captain Steve Stricker has accepted an invitation to contest next fortnight’s Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.

Of course, Stricker has contested the Open Championship but his appearance at Castle Stuart will be the first time the American has played a regular European Tour event since the 2011 Qatar Masters in Doha.

And there could be two more ‘overseas’ players competing at Castle Stuart given the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic, and to be staged the same week as the Scottish Open, has been cancelled this year due to deadly flooding in West Virginia that has sadly claimed 23 lives.

It has also forced the R & A to switch to this week’s Barracuda Championship in Reno, Nevada for the allocation of one place into The Open that was to be on offer at the Greenbrier.

Steve Stricker to tee up in this year’s Scottish Open. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)