The presence of no fewer than seven players with 12 Open titles between them has not stopped 21-year-old Sergio Garcia from being installed as favourite for the Scottish Open starting at Loch Lomond today.
Fresh from two United States Tour victories in the space of six weeks, Garcia now plays his first tournament in Britain for nine months confident he can win again.
If he does, nobody will be happier than Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance who almost certainly will no longer need to use one of his two wild cards on the young Spaniard.
But what will matter most to Garcia is that it will take him to Royal Lytham next week convinced that he can dethrone Tiger Woods and follow in the footsteps of Greg Norman, Tom Lehman, John Daly, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Paul Lawrie and Seve Ballesteros, the seven Open champions on view this week.
Garcia, who at Loch Lomond two years ago shot an opening 62 and finished second to Colin Montgomerie, is disappointed not to have arrived in Scotland with a first major trophy under his arm already.
"I really felt I had a great chance at the US Open," he says. "But I've been playing really well and my success has not surprised me. It was just a matter of waiting."
As Garcia looks ahead to challenging Woods for the next few years, 46-year-old Norman has issued a warning that the face of golf could be about to change dramatically.
"In six or seven years I think you will see a lot of Tiger Woods'," said the Australian, winner of The Open at Turnberry in 1986 and Sandwich in 1993.
"Tiger will be the norm, not the exception. I wish I had had this equipment when I was young and, as a result of that, their ability and the mental powers they have, you're going to see better competition and better scores."
Although Norman has not won himself for over three years his competitive nature still burns and he said: "I would not come here if I didn't think I could win. I'm not ever going to just take up a space."
Lehman, winner of the 1996 Open at Lytham, is not so sure about Norman's assessment of the imminent arrival of a pack of Tigers.
"There are a lot of guys who want to be Tiger Woods and hit it a long way, but there's only going to be one guy who's the best and I don't see that changing. It takes more than a nice swing and the ability to hit it far. It will be a pretty special kid who can compete with Tiger."
The memories have all come flooding back for Lehman on his return to Britain - not just about Lytham, but also Loch Lomond, where he gave probably the best performance of his career in 1997. He beat Ernie Els by five.
As for the Open, the American recalled being pulled through the crowd on the 18th green by PC Kevin Boyle, his personal security guard all week. "He was a big guy, about 6ft 4in and when we got through he said 'Tom, we've been through a lot today, but now you're on your own!"
Lehman afterwards did a swap of his cap for the police helmet. "I think it's the property of the Queen - I hope he won't get in trouble for that."
The Scottish Open fell off the European tour after 1996 at Carnoustie, but now returns under a minimum five-year agreement signed between the tour, Loch Lomond and Mark McCormack's International Management Group. It is anticipated a title sponsor will join up at some stage in the deal.
The £2.2million sterling prize fund is nearly five times what it was five years ago and double the purse for last season's Standard Life-sponsored tournament on the course.
The winners at Loch Lomond have been of the highest standard - Thomas Bjorn, Lehman, Lee Westwood, Montgomerie and Els - and it was also the stage last October of Europe's victory over the US in the Solheim Cup.
Els has had to withdraw because of back trouble, but the other four listed are all present and so is 1993 Scottish Open champion Jesper Parnevik.
It is the Swede's first event in Europe since last November and his first in Britain since the Open at St Andrews 12 months ago.
Like Garcia, he is looking to do Torrance a favour, standing as he does only 73rd on the points list.
