After squeezing in some preparation for The Open at Royal Portrush last week, Scott will play the Genesis Scottish Open for the 11th time having been run down by home-country hero Robert MacIntyre in the 2024 edition.

Kyriacou was also runner-up in her corresponding event of a year ago, denied a major championship triumph when Japan’s Ayaka Furue made eagle at the 72nd hole to steal away the Amundi Evian Championship.

In a sport where winning is so infrequent, finishing second presents the most conflicting confluence of emotional states.

To finish second in such prestigious championships is a mark of success in almost every respect but brings with it the torment of what-ifs and could-have-beens.

“Sucks not to hold the trophy,” was Kyriacou’s typically honest appraisal immediately after last year’s Evian Championship.

“If you told me I would come second at the start of the week I would’ve been happy,” she quickly added.

For Scott, now a week out from his 45th birthday, last year’s Scottish Open was a chance to break a winless drought stretching back more than four years.

That drought is now in its sixth year, making last year’s near miss at The Renaissance Club also one of conflicting emotions.

“Good to be in the mix,” said Scott. “A shame to come up short but Bob did what he had to do to win. Eagle, par, birdie, that’s great stuff.”

Joined by Elvis Smylie and Karl Vilips, Scott is one of three Aussies in the field in Scotland, Kyriacou will be one of nine Australians contesting the fourth women’s major of 2025 in France.

Exempt into next week’s Open Championship in Northern Ireland, Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman will prepare alongside Ripper GC teammate Matt Jones at the LIV Golf Andalucia event in Spain and there are eight Aussies in the field for the DICK’S Open on the PGA TOUR Champions.

Photos: Harry How/Getty Images (Scott); Philippe Millereau KMSP (Kyriacou)

Round 1 tee times AEST

LPGA Tour
The Amundi Evian Championship
Evian Resort Golf Club, France
3:24pm            Karis Davidson
3:48pm*          Lydia Ko (NZ)
4pm*               Minjee Lee
4:48pm            Hira Naveed
5pm*               Gabriela Ruffels
8pm*               Grace Kim, Cassie Porter
8:36pm            Hannah Green
8:48pm*          Stephanie Kyriacou
10pm               Robyn Choi

Recent champion: Ayaka Furue
Past Aussie winners: Rachel Hetherington (2001), Wendy Doolan (2004), Karrie Webb (2006), Minjee Lee (2021)
Prize money: $US8m
TV times: Live 8pm-2am Thursday, Friday; Live 9:15pm-12am Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 6pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

DP World Tour/PGA TOUR
Genesis Scottish Open
The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland
5:06pm            Karl Vilips
5:17pm            Daniel Hillier (NZ)
5:28pm*          Adam Scott
5:39pm             Elvis Smylie
10:32pm          Ryan Fox (NZ)

Recent champion: Robert MacIntyre
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1973), Craig Parry (1991), Peter O’Malley (1992), Wayne Riley (1995), Min Woo Lee (2021)
Prize money: $US9m
TV times: Live 5:30pm-4am Thursday, Friday; Live 11:30pm-5am Saturday on Fox Sports 503; Live 11:30pm-5am Sunday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.

PGA TOUR
ISCO Championship
Hurstbourne Country Club (Championship Cse), Louisville, Kentucky
8:45pm            Jason Scrivener
3:05am            Aaron Baddeley
3:38am            Kazuma Kobori (NZ)

Recent champion: Harry Hall
Past Aussie winners: Aaron Baddeley (2016)
Prize money: $US4m
TV times: Live 6am-9am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

LIV Golf
LIV Golf Andalucia
Real Club Valderrama, Spain
Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones, Marc Leishman, Ben Campbell (NZ), Danny Lee (NZ)

Recent champion: Sergio Garcia
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US20m
TV times: Live from 8:30pm Friday, Saturday; Live from 7pm Sunday on 7 Plus.

Champions Tour
DICK’S Open
En-Joie GC, Endicott, New York
Australians in the field: Steve Allan, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Scott Hend, Mark Hensby, Brendan Jones, John Senden, Michael Wright.

Recent champion: Padraig Harrington
Past Aussie winners:
Prize money: $US2.2m
TV times: Live 4am-6am Saturday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Korn Ferry Tour
The Ascendant
TPC Colorado, Berthoud, Colorado
11:50pm          Harry Hillier (NZ)
4:05am*           Rhein Gibson

Recent champion: Cristobal Del Solar
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1m

HotelPlanner Tour
D+D REAL Czech Challenge
Royal Beroun Golf Club, Beroun, Czech Republic
3:40pm            Sam Jones (NZ)
4:30pm            Danny List

Recent champion: Benjamin Follett-Smith
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000

LET Access Series
Vasteras Open
Skerike Golfklubb, Sweden
4:22pm*          Kristalle Blum
8:50pm*          Abbie Teasdale
9:01pm*          Stephanie Bunque
9:12pm            Justice Bosio
9:12pm*          Belinda Ji

Recent champion: Puk Lyng Thomsen (2023)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €45,000

PGA TOUR Americas
Bromont Open
Golf Chateau-Bromont, Bromont, Quebec
10:10pm          Tony Chen
11:30pm          Charlie Hillier (NZ)
4:10am*           Grant Booth

Recent champion: Ryan Burnett
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US225,000

Epson Tour
Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship
Great River Golf Club, Milford, Connecticut
9:15pm*          Jennifer Elliott
2:26am            Jess Whitting
2:26am*           Su Oh

Recent champion: Daniela Iacobelli
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US225,000

Legends Tour
Swiss Seniors Open
Golf Club Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
Australasians in the field: Mark Brown (NZ), Michael Long (NZ)

Recent champion: Jarmo Sandelin
Past Aussie winners: Bob Shearer (1999), Terry Gale (2005), Peter Fowler (2011)