The Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open could be headed east of Edinburgh for a first ever occasion and with Gullane N0. 1 high on the European Tour’s list.

Since the inaugural event in 1972 the tournament has been staged at just six venues from the inaugural event at Downfield to the Old Course at St. Andrews, Haggs Castle, Gleneagles, Loch Lomond and for the past three years at Castle Stuart in Inverness.

Next year’s Scottish Open is bound for Royal Aberdeen.

However George O’Grady, CEO with the European Tour is keen with the backing of the Scottish Government and the sponsors to take the event to the East Lothian region.

Gullane No. 1 golf course and possible future venue for the Scottish Open.

O’Grady said:  “We have’t sat down yet with the First Minister or Martin Gilbert but they are happy that it’s the Tour’s decision.

“We are trying to look at any potential venue and we’ve been made to feel very welcome at all of the courses. We are mindful of the gender issues in some places, but we are not ready to take a decision yet.

“We have looked around the Muirfield region and Gullane, for instance, has a great history and lots of people have played there during Open Championships.

“We have looked at the whole area of East Lothian has made us aware that we could take the Scottish Open there. If it could be done, we’d be quite keen to do that but it is too early to say if that is possible yet.

“If we can, we are quite keen that the Open Championship venues have their own flavour, but we’ve got a new venue next year in Royal Aberdeen and we are very heartened by the number of players indicating they’ll be playing there as they though it is such a nice golf course.

“We’ve been made to feel very welcome at Royal Aberdeen and by all the members.”

Gullane No. 1 was established in 1884 and has played host from 1966 to this year to seven Open Championship Local Final Qualifiers.

The course also hosted the 1998 British Amateur, 2000 British Seniors Boys, the 1965 Jacques L’Eglise Trophy between GB & I and Europe, four Ladies British Open Amateur championship from 1987 to 2004 and two Ladies Home Internationals.

O’Grady added:  “Both the First Minister and Martin Gilbert want to showcase links courses and the view of the players is that when we left Loch Lomond they wanted it to be played on a links course.

“We’ve done that so far and I think that a lot of people have been heartened by the fact that the winner of the Open for the last three years all played at Castle Stuart the previous week.

“I certainly know from speaking to Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington that playing links turf as opposed to the design of a particular course is what they are looking for the week before The Open.

“With all the trappings that go with these tournaments, we’ve got to find rooms for an awful lot of people, sort of parking etc.

“The turf is also good at Gullane.

“I’ve not looked it myself and I’ve not played it myself for a number of years. I do know, though, that the 18th is quite close to a busy road and that might pose a problem.

“Personally, I think the fact the last three Open champions all warmed up in the Scottish Open speaks volumes for the event. I think Castle Stuart was great preparation. Ok, so it isn’t all that punishing off the tee but it certainly has lots of fiddly shots into greens.

“Phil (Mickelson), for example, talks about how great it is that he gets to play shots he normally wouldn’t get the chance to play.

“If the weather did go against you and we never really overly strong winds up at Castle Stuart, then players might leave on the Sunday night feeling they’ve been beaten up heading into the Open Championship.

“At Royal Aberdeen, I don’t think it’s anyone’s intention to make it as tough as they possibly could because we wouldn’t really want people to feel broken before The Open.”

As reported recently by www.golfbytourmiss.com Mickelson and Rory McIlroy has already confirmed for the 2014 Scottish Open.