SCOTLAND’S VERY OWN MAGNIFICENT SEVEN WITH THEIR SIGHTS SET ON GOLFING GREATNESS AT ROYAL BIRKDALE...

SCOTLAND hasn’t had an Open winner since Paul Lawrie famously lifted the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 1999. Here, CALUM CROWE assesses the chances of the seven men flying the Saltire at Royal Birkdale this week. RUSSELL KNOX World ranking: 47. Age: 32. Previous Opens: 2. Best finish: T-30th (2016, Royal Troon). Now mired in the first real slump of his career, Knox has missed the cut in three of his last four events. Admitted last week at Dundonald that he feels ‘lost’ with his swing. MARTIN LAIRD World ranking: 89. Age: 34. Previous Opens: 5. Best Finish: T-44th (2013, Muirfield). Qualified via third-placed finish at the Quicken Loans National on the PGA Tour earlier this month. Record in The Open is very patchy, however, having missed the cut in three of his five appearances. RICHIE RAMSAY World ranking: 169. Age: 34. Previous Opens: 6. Best Finish: T-58th (2013, Muirfield). Has missed the cut in four of his six appearances, but has come into some nice form recently. Second-placed finish on links at Portstewart in the Irish Open a fortnight ago included three sub-70 rounds, finished off in style with a final-day 65. DAVID DRYSDALE World ranking: 263. Age: 42. Previous Opens: 1. Best Finish: T-60th (2009, Turnberry). Has found a new lease of life recently, crediting his turnaround in form to his wife, Vicky, who now caddies for him. PAUL LAWRIE World ranking: 350. Age: 48. Previous Opens: 24. Best Finish: Winner (1999, Carnoustie). His world ranking illustrates an obvious lack of form, but he was World No 241 when he stormed through the field on the final day to lift the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 1999. SANDY LYLE World ranking:

1,957. Age: 59. Previous Opens: 41. Best Finish: Winner (1985, Royal St George’s). Plum last in betting, with most bookies offering odds as long as 2,500/1. But Greg Norman was 53 when he went agonisingly close at Birkdale in 2008, and Tom Watson 59 when he did the same at Turnberry the following year. CONNOR SYME World ranking:

N/A. Age: 22. Previous Opens: Debut. Syme has an excellent record on links courses and plays this form of golf far more often than the pros. Came through final qualifying at Gailes in a field including Marc Warren and Scott Jamieson.