Mayfair warms up for the Open

American Billy Mayfair believes playing in the Standard Life tournament at Loch Lomond could help him challenge for the Open title at Carnoustie next week.

Mayfair, with top-10 finishes in two of the last three major championships, said on the eve of the £1million event: "This is such a good tune-up for next week.

"Even though the courses are not the same, coming early means there are no jet-lag problems by the time of the British Open and to me the best way to prepare for a tournament is playing in one.

"All of us want to win major championships and that's why I am here ahead of time."

World number one Tiger Woods, defending Open champion Mark O'Meara and others have opted for some private links practice in Ireland - as they did last year - while most Americans will not be travelling to Scotland until after this week's Greater Milwaukee Open.

The lack of American stars is a talking point at Loch Lomond this week and Mayfair believes part of the reason for that is "the Woods effect."

He explained: "We are playing for as much as we are in the States because of Tiger and a lot of players don't travel much overseas because of the prize money at home."

Mayfair said he was not surprised at all by 19-year-old Sergio Garcia's victory in Ireland on Sunday and predicted the whole European Tour could benefit just as the US Tour has from Woods.

Carnoustie will be the 32-year-old Arizonan's third Open and he has been warned what to expect for the Scottish links' return to the championship rota for the first time since 1975.

"All I have heard is that it's real hard. I have heard some other words but I can't repeat them!" he said.

Garcia heads this week's entry along with Colin Montgomerie, trying to win in his home country for the first time as a professional, Nick Faldo, Lee Westwood and Ryder Cup Swede Jesper Parnevik.