The stage is set for a spectacular golf weekend at Dundonald Links. The public is expected in large numbers to attend the Ladies Scottish Open which returns to the west of Scotland for the second year in a row.

  • Photo: DR

The first players will take to the tee in pursuit of the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open title on Friday morning at 07:30, the last putt should fall at 14:00 p.m. on Sunday.

With a very high field, for the last field of the Ladies Scottish Open of this year, the players present totaled no less than five victories of majors and 135 titles of the Ladies European Tour.

The Scottish Catriona Matthew will be present, twice winner of the Scottish Open, is one of the stars of European women's golf, including the French Gwladys Nocera several times best European player, the Spaniard Carlota Ciganda, the Swedish Caroline Hedwall and a handful past winners including Laura Davies, Trish Johnson, and Carly Booth.

The well-represented French women, Celine Herbin, Valentine Derey, Anne-Lise Caudal, Isabelle Boineau, Jade Schaeffer, Lucie André, Marion Ricordeau, Alexandra Vilatte and Sophie Giquel-Bettan will also be in the game.

On the international side, a trio of American women is represented by Cheyenne Woods, Beth Allen and Paige Spiranac, who will be joined by 16 other players selected to represent their country at the Olympic Games in Rio this summer.

Fit Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen, a recent Tipsport Golf Masters winner, will be looking for another win, facing stiff competition from a host of young Britons vying for the Scottish Open title. Pamela Pretswell, Kylie Walker, Amy Boulden, Florentyna Parker and Kelsey MacDonald, among others, will be there to spoil the party.

Carin Koch 2015 Solheim Cup captain, in action at Dundonald this week, will be joined by 11 Solheim Cup players. Keeping an eye out for Liz Young, who will play this week while being seven months pregnant.

80 amateur players will join the 80 professionals in the first two rounds for Pro-Am.

The first 60 professionals of the Ladies European Tour will qualify by playing the last 18 holes of the tournament. There will be no amateurs playing for this last round.

OBE VisitScotland's Director of Events Paul Bush said: “Sporting events like the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open at Links Dundonald are a great way to showcase Scotland as a major tourist and event destination, offering a leading international media coverage.

The 2016 Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open takes place at Links Dundonald on the west coast of Scotland in North Ayrshire from July 22-24.

The event now occupies a prominent place on the Ladies European Tour calendar, just one week before the Women's British Open, it offers a prize of € 500.000.

The event is free for the sake of attending as a family.

For more information, visit www.ladiescottishopen.com