Lure of Muirfield sees Scottish Men's Open attract record entry

A total of 355 players from all around the world apply to tee up at East Lothian venue

The magic of Muirfield has led to a record entry for next month’s Scottish Men’s Open at the East Lothian venue.

A total of 355 players from all around the world applied to tee up in one of Scottish Golf’s marquee tournaments and only 144 spots are up for grabs on 31 May-2 June.

The figure smashed the previous record of 256, which had stood since the 1999 event at St Andrews, where Drumpellier’s Graham Rankin was victorious on the Old and Jubilee Courses.

Muirfield is staging the Scottish Men's Open for only the third time after editions in 1967 and 1977. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

As well as entries from Scotland and the other home nations, golfers from 15 European countries, Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Morocco, China, Saudi Arabia, USA and United Arab Emirates have applied to play in the 2024 edition.

The final field will comprise of the top 55 players who have applied based on their World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) while the next 55 players will be decided by handicap ballot.