THOUSANDS of golf fans are set to descend upon East Lothian as the Genesis Scottish Open tees off today (Thursday).

The final competition before the fourth Major of the season takes place at The Renaissance Club, with an estimated 70,000 fans heading to Scotland’s Golf Coast.

Nine of the top 10 players in men’s golf will battle it out at the tournament, which is part of the historic co-sanctioning of the event by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour (formerly European Tour), ahead of The 150th Open at St Andrews.

East Lothian boasts 21 courses within 30 miles of coastline and is set to benefit from another major tournament this summer, when Muirfield hosts the AIG Women’s Open next month.

About 36,000 spectators are expected to attend the event, which is being held at Muirfield for the first time.

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Councillor John McMillan, East Lothian Council’s spokesman for environment, economic development and tourism, was looking forward to the events.

He said: “There can be no better venue for these two hugely important tournaments than Scotland’s Golf Coast so I am delighted to be able to welcome them back this year – and at full capacity in terms of visitors as we continue to recover from the pandemic.

“They are an important showcase for all that East Lothian has to offer, bringing our wonderful county to a global TV audience.

“And, of course, giving us the chance to show off our fantastic offering for visitors first-hand.

“Having some of the world’s top golfers here, as well as many thousands of spectators, is also an enormous boost to our local economy, with the hospitality industry set to receive a welcome increase in trade.

“Of course, it’s important to manage visitors to our coast responsibly, so we have been working with tournament organisers and our local communities to encourage sustainable transport choices but also to manage the inevitable flow of traffic.”

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It is the fourth consecutive year that the Scottish Open has taken place at The Renaissance Club, near Dirleton, and the sixth time that the event has been held in East Lothian, having previously been hosted by Gullane Golf Club in 2015 and 2018.

Among those teeing off are reigning champion Min Woo Lee and Major winners Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose and Hideki Matsuyama.

The economic value of golf tourism to East Lothian is more than £20 million and it supports more than 600 jobs.

Neil Christison, VisitScotland regional director, said: “2022 is an incredible year for golf in Scotland, and East Lothian is set to benefit from hosting two major golf tournaments this summer.

“Golf tournaments provide the perfect stage to showcase Scotland’s first-class golf regions and courses to the world and fans from around the world will be able to enjoy stunning images of East Lothian as the tournaments take place.

“Golf is one of Scotland’s major selling points to visitors with a passion for sport, with no other country able to match our history or heritage in the game.”

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Bob Gunning, of Scotland’s Golf Coast Steering Group, described it as “an exciting year for golf tourism” in the area.

He said: “With two major golf events, the eyes of the golfing world will be on East Lothian, providing the region with an unprecedented level of exposure.

“Scotland’s Golf Coast, the golf tourism marketing alliance comprising golf clubs and accommodation providers, has successfully navigated the past couple of years with support from the VisitScotland destination and sector marketing fund, with members now reaping the rewards of that resilience and endeavour. 2022 is already proving to be a strong year, but our primary focus is now ensuring 2023 and beyond is even better.”