Triple Major winning Ernie Els had delivered Castle Stuart a ringing endorsement ahead of this week’s Barclay’s Scottish Open.

Els, also a former double Barclay’s Scottish Open winner, flew into Inverness on Sunday and went straight out on the much-acclaimed Gil Hanse course.

“I played all 18 holes and didn’t find a bad hole out there, so I’m really looking forward to this week.”

Strangely, Els had to seek an invitation into the event given he won in 2000 and 2003 at Loch Lomond.

Richie Ramsay will be among 15 Scots carrying local hopes, and after going so close to capturing the French Open, Ramsay’s will tap in into local Inverness knowledge to help him pull off victory.

The former South African Open winner got back to Edinburgh late Sunday night to be reunited to his car that had been in the airport car park for seven weeks since Ramsay flew to Turin for the Italian Open.

And after heading up the A9, Ramsay’s hoping to drive back to the nation’s capital this Sunday night with the gleaming new trophy sitting beside him in the passenger seat.

“I’ve played a lot of golf courses in the Inverness region including Nairn, Lossiemouth, Elgin and Hopeman but not Royal Dornoch,” he said.

“My brother also lives Lossiemouth, so it’s going to be great to catch up with him.”

Ramsay secured his best result all year with fifth in Versailles, and also moved inside the Race to Dubai top-60 to 56th spot.

And with Scottish golf and also tennis crying out for more world-ranked stars, the Aberdonian is hoping to be the golfer to join U.S. based Martin Laird as Tartan world-beaters.

“It’s not just in tennis that Scotland is looking for a new Grand Slam winner but the Scottish golf fraternity would dearly love a new Major winner.

Ernie Els takes an instant liking to the Gil Hanse designed Castle Stuart.

“It’s a great course and such a fantastic setting,” said the South African.

“The SGU do a good job, and to have three big tournaments in Scotland, and England have only got one, shows how strong Scottish golf is.

“So with those three big events as a platform to get more kids into the game, and it’s seeing a Scot winning a really big event that will help.

“It’s like the tennis.  If Andy Murray were to win Wimbledon one year or gets to the final, it’s a huge boost for not just tennis but the whole nation.

“So it’s all about trying to find that guy carrying the flag that Monty did for so long.

“And by taking the Barclay’s Scottish Open up north and exposing it to more people is a good idea.”

And while Ramsay and his fellow Scots were getting familiar with Castle Stuart, Darren Clarke was on the side of the nearby Findhorn River trying to land a salmon.

The recent Iberdrola Open winner missed the cut in last week’s French Open and it hoping to make a bigger splash this week.