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Phil Mickelson has confirmed he will not be teeing up at the 2017 Scottish Open at Dundonald Links.
Since 2003, the 46-year-old has played in all bar two Scottish Opens (2006 and 2009), winning in 2013 at Castle Stuart before completing a famous double at the Open Championship at Muirfield a week later.
But speaking to GolfByTourMiss.com at the FedEx St Jude Classic, the 46-year-old said he’s made the decision to pass on first-time host venue Dundonald Links because he finds it difficult to learn a new links layout every year.
“I am not playing the Scottish this year as it’s too much for me to learn a new course every time I go to the Scottish on top of needing to familiarise myself with the British Open venues,” he said.
“I’ve heard good things about Dundonald but while they are changing courses of every year, I will not play.”
This year’s visit to Ayrshire completes the four-year cycle of the Scottish Open being hosted in every corner of the country – Royal Aberdeen (2014), Gullane (2015), Castle Stuart (2016).
Taking the tournament across the country was the ambition of Aberdeen Asset Management in 2012 when they became title sponsors and Mickelson added that he has shared his views with the company’s CEO, Martin Gilbert, but ‘didn’t want to get in their way’ if organisers wanted to continue with their current strategy.
Dundonald Links was announced as the host venue of this year’s Scottish Open in April 2016 but, as yet, a location for the 2018 event has yet to be announced.
Despite Mickelson’s absence though, a stellar field is expected in Ayrshire with the likes of Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Alex Noren and Matt Kuchar already saying that they will be teeing it up.
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