GOLF fans are being encouraged to snap up ‘early birdie’ tickets for next year’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.

The competition, which attracted golfing stars from throughout the world earlier this summer, will return to The Renaissance Club, near Dirleton, next July.

A crowd of more than 66,000 spectators descended on the Tom Doak-designed course – the highest attendance figure since the tournament began travelling to venues across the country in 2011, following a 16-year spell at Loch Lomond Golf Club.

Now, the organisers are hoping for another big crowd, with tickets for the Rolex Series event now available.

Fans have until midnight on October 29 to snap up special price tickets for the tournament, which takes place July 8-12 next year.

Single day special price tickets start at £9 for juniors and concessions and £10 for adults on the first day of play on July 9, while season tickets for all four days are priced at £21 for juniors, £39 for concessions and £49 for adults.

Rory Colville, Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open championship director, said: “We are delighted to begin ticket sales for the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, as we look forward to welcoming spectators from far and wide to The Renaissance Club for yet another global sporting event.

“Along with our partners Aberdeen Standard Investments and VisitScotland, we very much appreciate the support of golf fans from Scotland and beyond and I’m sure that the great value special price tickets will prove to be a popular option.”

In 2020, the Scottish Open again forms part of the European Tour’s Rolex Series, as well as taking its traditional slot in the week before The Open Championship.

This year’s competition was won by Bernd Wiesberger following a tense play-off with Benjamin Hebert.

Internationally-renowned golfers including Henrik Stenson, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy were joined by East Lothian’s Grant Forrest at the tournament.

Next year’s event will again be followed closely by the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open on the same course on August 13-16, a key event in the schedules of many of the world’s best female golfers which will be played the week before the AIG Women’s British Open.

This year, Mi Jung Hur from South Korea captured her third LPGA Tour title at The Renaissance Club – a decade after her first – with a four-shot victory over an international leaderboard including former winner Ariya Jutanugarn, Jeongeun Lee and Scotland’s Carly Booth.

Special price tickets for the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open are on sale now at europeantour.com